Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the younger phenom rocketing by means of the single-seater ranks, is about to take part in a System 1 weekend for the primary time. Antonelli might be behind the wheel of the W15 on Friday, driving for Mercedes rather than George Russell on the Italian Grand Prix.
Will an announcement of his promotion to a full-time seat on the grid for subsequent season observe?
Ever since Lewis Hamilton rocked the F1 world along with his beautiful pre-season announcement that he was leaving Mercedes for Ferrari on the finish of the 2024 marketing campaign, hypothesis grew relating to who would change him. Whereas there was dialogue of a equally stunning transfer to poach Max Verstappen from Purple Bull, in current months the hypothesis has centered on Antonelli. The Italian driver, who simply turned 18 final weekend, made the leap to F2 this season, skipping F2 altogether. Whereas his season with Prema bought off to a shaky begin Antonelli has discovered his kind, notching a pair of victories.
Talking on the FIA Press Convention on Thursday forward of the Italian Grand Prix, the residing legend he could also be changing sang his praises.
“I mentioned a very long time in the past that I believe that’s who the workforce ought to select shifting forwards. And time will inform what they find yourself deciding to do. No, he’s a type of younger, super-talented children that’s come by means of. I imply, he’s a younger grownup now. However, yeah, he’s solely 18. So I believe… I believe it’d be good for folks simply to recollect he’s simply turning 18, and he’s bought a vibrant future forward of him.
“And yeah, I’m actually excited to see and watch his progress. I noticed an image earlier on of us, again in, I believe, 2018, and he was one of many grid children! And I’m like shaking his hand on the entrance of the grid! So it clearly reminds you the way outdated you might be when you’ve gotten these experiences,” continued Hamilton. “However yeah, wanting ahead to seeing his progress and his journey by means of into System 1.”
Hamilton even in contrast Antonelli’s rise — and a possible full-time seat subsequent season — to his rise at McLaren.
“We’ve been watching him by means of the totally different formulation and naturally he’s a Mercedes driver. I simply assume we’re beginning to see quite a bit youthful drivers coming by means of and I believe we’re simply in that point, the place there’s solely 20 seats and I believe it’s time. We’re beginning to see this new wave come by means of,” described Hamilton. “By way of taking over one other driver that’s had many, a few years of expertise versus giving a possibility to a teen.
“That’s what McLaren did for me and it labored out effectively. For my part, it’s simply a possibility for him to develop. He’s going to get to work… He would get to work with the very best in school, be taught from folks that I’ve labored with for therefore many, a few years,” continued Hamilton. “However it’s plenty of weight on somebody’s shoulders. However as I mentioned, it’s a fantastic setting that I believe they might simply have the ability to nurture him and carry him by means of it. However there are different actually good choices. So that you’d need to ask Toto [Wolff] which one he’s leaning in the direction of.”
Mercedes is coming off a tough weekend on the Dutch Grand Prix. The workforce’s streak of six straight podium finishes got here to an finish, with Hamilton ending eighth and Russell ending seventh. The seven-time champion described the present state of the W15 as being on a “knife’s edge,” mirroring language he used again on the Miami Grand Prix.
Hamilton believes that too is one thing Antonelli can assist with when he makes his FP1 debut tomorrow.
“It’s positively at all times good having extra enter,” started Hamilton. “Yeah, I believe for Kimi tomorrow, I believe it’s nearly having fun with your self and having enjoyable. That is going to be an incredible expertise for him tomorrow. He’s clearly already examined the outdated automobile, however tomorrow goes to be the primary time he’s, I imagine, examined the brand new automobile, which is a lot nicer than the 2022 automobile.
“So he’s going to be all smiles tomorrow for certain. It’s a drastic distinction. And yeah, the extra data and the extra enter we get, the higher. So I don’t know what to anticipate, what he’s going to come back again with, however we’ll positively take it in.”
