Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the single-seater division's fastest rising young talent, will take part in his first Formula 1 race weekend. Antonelli will take the wheel of the W15 on Friday to replace George Russell for Mercedes in the Italian Grand Prix.
Will announcements of promotion to full-time seats on the grid next season continue?
Ever since Lewis Hamilton rocked the F1 world with his shock pre-season announcement that he would be leaving Mercedes for Ferrari at the end of the 2024 season, speculation has been mounting as to who might replace him. An equally shocking move to poach Max Verstappen from Red Bull was also mooted, but speculation in recent months has focused on Antonelli. The Italian driver, who only turned 18 last weekend, skipped F2 entirely to jump to F2 this season. After a shaky start to the season with Prema, Antonelli has bounced back to form, scoring two wins.
Lectures FIA press conference On Thursday ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, the living legend he may succeed praised him.
“I said a long time ago that he was the guy the team had to pick going forward, and time will tell what they ultimately decide. No, he's one of those young, super talented kids that's come along. I mean, he's a young man now. But, yeah, he's only 18. So I think it's good for everybody to remember that he just turned 18 and has a bright future ahead of him.”
“And yeah, I'm really excited to see him grow up. I saw a photo of us before, I think it was 2018, and he was one of the grid kids! And I shook his hand at the front of the grid! So when you have an experience like this, it reminds you how old you are.” Hamilton's sequel“But I'm excited to watch him develop and see his journey to Formula 1.”
Hamilton even compared Antonelli's rise and chances of securing a full-time seat next season to his own rise at McLaren.
“We've watched him through the different formulas and obviously he's a Mercedes driver. I think there's more and more young drivers coming up and I think it's really time now with only 20 seats, a new wave is starting to come in,” Hamilton said. “In terms of not giving a young guy a chance but bringing in another driver with years of experience.”
“McLaren did that for me and it worked out well. In my opinion, this is just a development opportunity for him. He's going to have a job… he's going to work with the best people in his class and he's going to learn from people that I've worked with for many years,” Hamilton continued. “But it's a weight on somebody's shoulders, but like I said, it's a great environment and I think they can nurture him and get him through. But there are other really good options out there. So, you'll have to ask Toto to find out.” [Wolff] Which way is he leaning?”
Mercedes had a tough weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix, ending the team's run of six consecutive podiums with Hamilton finishing eighth and Russell seventh. The seven-time champion described the current state of the W15 as “perilous”, similar to the words he used at the Miami Grand Prix.
Hamilton believes Antonelli can help in that regard as well when he makes his FP1 debut tomorrow.
“Getting more input is definitely always a good thing,” Hamilton began. “Well, I think for Kimi it's just about enjoying it tomorrow. It's going to be a great experience for him. He's obviously already tested the old car, but I think tomorrow will be the first time he tests the new car, which is a lot better than the 2022 car.”
“So, he'll definitely be smiling tomorrow. Dramatic difference. And, yeah, the more information and the more input we get, the better. So, we don't know what to expect or what results he'll come back with, but we're definitely open to it.”
