The Formula 1 was really booming at the beginning of the year, when the seven-time World Championship winner was announced Lewis Hamilton about moving from Mercedes to Ferrari.
This immediately started speculation about the successor of the experienced British driver.
Mercedes waited calmly with the matter. Seven months passed. Then on the last day of August, Mercedes informed the 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli washing of George Russell as a team mate.
Choosing Antonelli was in itself expected. The Italian, born in 2006, is in Hamilton or to Max Verstappen a comparable super talent who has been marinating in the Mercedes Young Driver Academy since the age of 11.
Antonelli, who showed excellent performances in karting and small formulas, would have replaced Hamilton in any case sooner or later. With Hamilton’s surprising decision, it happened a little earlier than expected.
As talented as Antonelli is, an 18-year-old boy jumping into the place of an almost 40-year-old legend arouses strong reactions. Many have noticed that Antonelli is being talked about as a replacement for Hamilton, who has won six drivers’ championships.
Team manager Toto Wolff revealed after the Antonelli news when he knew who was the right guy to replace Hamilton.
– I made my decision five minutes after Hamilton said he was leaving for Ferrari, Wolff said.
Antonelli’s place for Bottas
Although Antonelli is a member of the Mercedes F1 organization, his washing has caused a surprising amount of negative reactions. This was strongly visible when Mercedes announced before Christmas that the 35-year-old Valtteri Bottas from returning to the ranks of the stable.
In 2025, Bottas will work behind Russell and Antonelli as the team’s reserve driver. Bottas’ return was warmly welcomed in the comment sections of Mercedes and Formula 1’s Instagram posts, but at the same time many put pressure on Antonelli.
Some even hoped that Antonelli would fail and a Finn 17 years older would replace him as a race driver in the middle of the season.
– If Kimi flops, we know what will happen.
– Kimi will fail and Bottas will get another chance.
– He (Bottas) returns to this car after five races.
– Mercedes made a mistake. Bottas should have been given the driving seat and Kimi the role of reserve driver.. Kimi will pay Mercedes.
– Kim must be really good. Excellent.
– Drop Kimi and make Bottas the team’s second driver.
– He (Bottas) should be your driver. Not Antonelli’s.
– Imagine Valtteri breathing down Kimi’s neck.
– Start with Bottas with Russell.
– He should be George’s teammate, not Kim’s. Kimi is not ready for the task.
Comments on the internet and social media should always be left at their own value. However, the negativity towards Antonelli is special.
You would understand the attack if it was a stubborn or self-absorbed person. However, Antonelli’s behavior has been far from this.
Stupidity like Max Verstappen has been on the decline. The Italian boy has been like the epitome of sincerity.
Unreasonable expectations
Antonelli has been considered a generational talent. He has been compared to Verstappen, who made it to Formula One at just 17 years old.
Comparisons with Verstappen and Hamilton annoy many. Something absurd is expected from Antonelli, so that he could be compared to the greats of the sport.
The beginning of Antonelli’s formula career was a joy ride. He achieved four consecutive championships with dominating performances.
After 2023, Mercedes ended up with a tough decision, when Antonelli moved up two series steps from the Formula Regional series to the F2 series in one fell swoop. A challenging class that has been a surprising test for many young people.
Antonelli drove as a rookie in a series with several drivers 4–5 years older. The season was challenging, which was not smoothed over by the surprisingly weak racing equipment of the usually always brilliant Prema.
However, Antonelli improved significantly during the season. He clearly beat his team mate who was glowing Ollie Bearman’swho dazzled in his F1 debut with Ferrari. In total points, Antonelli was sixth in the tough series.
Few people remember that Verstappenka didn’t move to formula one as a champion once upon a time. In the 2014 season, he was “only” third in the F3 series Esteban Ocon’s and by Tom Blomqvist after.
Many expected Antonelli to win the championship right away in F2 as well. When he didn’t succeed in that, Antonelli was not considered a special case.
However, many missed the fact that he had exceptional driving performances in the rain. The most talented drivers stand out from the rest precisely in the rain.
A less stressful situation
Antonelli’s success is thus questioned due to his very young age and slightly more modest F2 results. The critics got more fuel in Monza when the driver, who just turned 18, crashed out in his first free practice as a Mercedes driver.
The exit was certainly regrettable in that regard, but it is not worth drawing far-reaching conclusions from an individual situation. Antonelli had time to forge fast times before his hit. The next day, Mercedes announced the Italian’s contract for next season.
It is certainly possible that Antonelli will not succeed next season. Although Mercedes is basically one of the top teams, in 2025 the biggest expectations are still directed at McLaren, Verstappen’s Red Bull and Hamilton’s strengthened Ferrari.
In those stables, they want a championship. Instead, Mercedes is currently in an intermediate state. The gaze is further away, which is reassuring for Antonelli.
However, it is interesting that Mercedes’ child star has not been welcomed with open arms by the fans. So far, little has been said about Antonelli’s driving for Mercedes. For the former child star, this could be the best possible starting point to make his F1 debut.