During the media interaction after the Qualifying session in Monza, Lando Norris encountered a question about facing Kimi Antonelli as a rival in F1. While answering the question, the Briton took the opportunity to praise George Russell by calling him one of the best drivers on the grid.
Talking about how he expects Russell and Antonelli’s partnership to pan out, Norris said, “[Kimi will be] Learning from one of the best here as his teammate. I’m sure he’ll be up to speed in no time“.
Despite a string of poor results in F2, the Italian driver’s arrival on the grid generated immense hype. Much of it had to do with the 18-year-old’s track record leading up to his F4 debut and his subsequent jump to F2, skipping F3.
lando on kimi antonelli: i’m sure it’ll be a steep learning curve for him […] as long as he copes with that well, i’m sure, learning from one of the best here *points to george* as his teammate, he’ll be up to speed in no time.pic.twitter.com/JuLGz8n2rl
— ray (@ln4norris) August 31, 2024
While the Italian prodigy did not have the best of debuts in F1, he still left a lasting impact. He clocked in an impressive quick first lap before crashing on his very next.
Mercedes announced Antonelli for 2025 despite him crashing
Mercedes announced Antonelli as their driver for 2025, shortly after the Italian crashed. This showed their immense faith in him.
Our 2025 F1 driver line-up confirmed ✅
Kimi Antonelli will race alongside George Russell next season
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) August 31, 2024
With Antonelli joining the Silver Arrows in 2025, Toto Wolff will have to wait longer before he can possibly sign Max Verstappen to his side. For most of the 2024 season, Wolff explained his desperation to poach the Dutchman from Red Bull.
While Mercedes may not be able to sign Verstappen in 2025, they could do so in 2026. Russell will run out of a contract at the end of next season, meaning he may vacate a seat.
Given the high-profile departures from Red Bull amid persistent issues, chances are that Verstappen might also want to step away. Thus, Mercedes is still in with a shout at securing the three-time world champion’s services in the future.
