For several months, teenage racing prodigy Kimi Antonelli has been the favorite to take Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes seat once the latter moves to Ferrari. Amid the growing hype surrounding him, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has warned against putting too much pressure on the 18-year-old.
As reported by Autosport, Domenicali spoke about Antonelli being the future focal point of a big team like Mercedes, in an interview. He praised the Italian driver’s family for their support and added that he would have a lot of responsibilities on him. But, it was up to the F1 community to not pressure the youngster too much.
“Let’s not put too much pressure on his shoulders, he will have to take advantage of an important opportunity to mature quickly, and gain his experiences as is right.”
The son of former racer Marco Antonelli, the Bologna-born driver has been racing since he was eight. He has won multiple titles in the junior categories, including the 2023 Formula Regional European Championship, which was so impressive that he skipped F3 to directly compete in F2 this year.
Domenicali: “He will have an important responsibility, but let’s not put too much pressure on his shoulders, he will have to take advantage of an important opportunity to mature quickly and gain his experiences as is right.”
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— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) August 27, 2024
He barely had time to settle into the 2024 championship before reports began linking him to Mercedes as Hamilton’s potential replacement. Expectations are high, so it’s crucial not to be too critical of his performance given his lack of experience—something Domenicali has emphasized.
Multiple sources have confirmed that the Silver Arrows will announce Antonelli as its driver for 2025 at the Italian GP weekend. However, Wolff has unofficially revealed the move already.
Wolff sees Antonelli and Russell in his long-term plans
Dutch journalist Erik van Haren pointed out a ‘slip of the tongue’ by Wolff that put all speculation about Hamilton’s replacement to rest. In his De Telegraaf column, he quoted Wolff as saying,
“The two drivers in our car next year have our full support. I want to make it work with George [Russell] and Kimi [Antonelli].”
Russell will continue at Mercedes with a contract until 2025. Over the past three years, he has done a commendable job as seven-time World champion Hamilton’s teammate, and he will be hoping to achieve the same success with his soon-to-be partner, Antonelli.
Wolff wants to take Mercedes back to the top of F1 with the two drivers, who have a bright future with the team according to him.
And Toto Wolff’s accidentally revealed Kimi Antonelli’s signing
“Both our drivers will have the full support of the team in 2025. I want everything to go well with George and Kimi next year.”
F1’s worst-kept secret pic.twitter.com/5D5qMfhN1c
— formula.jokes (@FormulaJokes) August 23, 2024
Only the official announcement of Antonelli’s signing is pending, which could be made this coming weekend in Monza. Once Mercedes confirms the move, Sauber will be the only team on the grid with an empty second seat.
