Kimi Antonelli is reported to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes from 2025 onwards but is already getting familiar with the workings of the team. The Italian driver recently narrated an incident involving Hamilton and the rest of the Brackley-based team, which he believed he was fortunate to have witnessed.
Antonelli was referring to how the entire Mercedes team celebrated Hamilton’s British GP win last month.
“It was a beautiful moment. Toto told me ‘Kimi, let’s go take the photo’, and I found myself in the garage in an incredible atmosphere. I had never seen anything like it,” he told Motorsport.
Kimi Antonelli on Sir Lewis’ Silverstone win and the atmosphere in the garage ‼️
“It was a beautiful moment. Toto told me ‘Kimi, let’s go take the photo’, and I found myself in the garage in an incredible atmosphere, I had never seen anything like it. They were all singing,… pic.twitter.com/WsL5HDdbyR
— sim (@sim3744) August 10, 2024
Hamilton had to wait almost three years to stand on the top step of the F1 podium again, and for each and every person at Mercedes, his Silverstone victory meant a lot.
“They were all singing,” he added. “You could see the happiness in their eyes. He moved me… I understood how much these people had waited and desired that success. I feel lucky to have had the chance to witness such a moment..”
Hamilton’s win at Silverstone was one of the three wins Mercedes achieved in the last four F1 races. It showed massive progress, as in 2022 and 2023, they won one race – combined.
Unfortunately for Hamilton, he cannot be a part of Mercedes’ resurgence for too long. Antonelli meanwhile – if the reports are correct – could see himself competing at the front of the F1 grid next year.
Does Hamilton regret his move to Ferrari?
When Hamilton announced he would be moving to Ferrari, it was assumed that he was in search of a better team, with whom he could win his eighth World Title. But in the coming weeks, the tides would turn completely. Mercedes overtook Ferrari in terms of performance and began to bring in better results.
The question was whether Hamilton regretted his decision to join the Maranello-based team.
The Stevenage-born driver insisted, “I think leaving when the chips are down would be the worst feeling for me“.
Having joined Mercedes in 2013, Hamilton developed a bond with the people working in Brackley. Going by his statement, he did not want to leave Mercedes in a slump and was proud of winning with them after two years of struggles.
Team Principal Toto Wolff too, stated that he wanted to end his relationship with Hamilton on a high, which takes the topic of regret away for Hamilton.
