After months of deliberation, Mercedes has finally confirmed Kimi Antonelli as the replacement for the outgoing Lewis Hamilton. Despite having the option of signing a proven Grand Prix winner like Carlos Sainz, the Brackley outfit has put their faith in an inexperienced Antonelli. Nico Rosberg has tried to make sense of this move, stating that this was the better choice from a future perspective.
In a Sky Sports F1 YouTube video, Rosberg stated that Sainz would have been a safe bet. However, he doesn’t feel that the Spaniard would have given George Russell “a run for his money”.
On the other hand, the former Mercedes man branded Antonelli as the future leader of the team. He said, “He can definitely be the leader of the next generation. So that is definitely the most exciting move.”
Russell. Antonelli. 2025. #F1 @MercedesAMGF1 pic.twitter.com/tqhJeUxDzH
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 31, 2024
Rosberg also stated that he knows about Antonelli’s talent since the Italian prodigy drove in his karting team. So, the 2016 champion is certain that Mercedes has made a good decision to invest in Antonelli for the future.
However, Rosberg also feels that the 18-year-old is not well-prepared for his step-up to F1. Earlier in the year, he had stated that Mercedes should place Antonelli in a smaller team like Williams for a season or so to groom him at the highest level of motorsport.
The Italian prodigy directly coming into a top team like Mercedes could be overwhelming for him. And his 2024 F2 campaign has shown glimpses of the same.
Antonelli’s mixed-bag F2 season so far
Antonelli has been having a roller-coaster of an F2 season, mainly due to Prema’s struggles with their car. Although, that doesn’t defy the fact that Mercedes promoted the 18-year-old from F4 and Formula Regional to directly F2, skipping F3 altogether.
They justified this decision by highlighting that Antonelli’s talent is quite special. That being said, it could have cost the Italian one important season of gaining more experience before stepping up to the top level of racing.
In F2 as well, Antonelli has been fighting hard to showcase his talents. But due to an ultra-competitive field and Prema’s struggles, he has only got two race wins — which is quite unlike his dominant campaigns in F4 and FRECA.
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SAFETY CAR
Kimi pits for a new front wing and rejoins in 20th #F2 #ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/gKUagQhNpT
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) August 31, 2024
At the sprint race in Monza, he also caught up amidst a multiple-car crash that demoted him down the order. From there on, Antonelli pitted to repair the damage to his car but could only finish 18th in the 21-lap race. Moreover, his crash in FP1 in the Mercedes would have also added pressure on the Italian.
