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MONZA, Italy — Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Method One follow debut was over almost as shortly because it began.
The 18-year-old driver topped the timesheets early throughout first follow forward of the Italian Grand Prix; nonetheless, he quickly misplaced management by way of Parabolica, the high-speed Flip 11, crashing into the tire boundaries. The Method Two driver was okay and walked away feeling like he realized a lesson “in a tricky method.”
“I realized that I can’t go flat out searching for the restrict immediately. Particularly wanting again, the observe was very slippery. The grip was fairly a bit decrease than anticipated,” Antonelli stated. “I used to be pushing too laborious, for positive. For the following few occasions, I’ll simply attempt to construct the run extra progressively as a substitute of simply looking for the restrict.”
Antonelli owned the error, nevertheless it got here lower than 24 hours earlier than Mercedes introduced the Italian would full its 2025 driver lineup, making Antonelli the third confirmed rookie for subsequent season.
Antonelli skilled a fast rise by way of the junior classes, together with skipping just a few stops alongside the way in which. His crash in FP1 wouldn’t have been the primary time skeptics have questioned: is Antonelli, who turned 18 solely per week in the past, prepared for the step as much as F1?
Mercedes feels so.
“As a driver, you have got the velocity otherwise you don’t have the velocity. I’m very assured that Kimi has the velocity. All people on their journey goes to make errors,” George Russell stated Saturday. “That’s a part of life and a part of this sport. I’ve little question Kimi will study from yesterday, however he’s positively acquired the velocity to assist Mercedes get again to the entrance of the grid for subsequent yr and onwards, and that’s precisely why he’s going to be alongside me within the automotive subsequent yr.”
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Antonelli’s background
Antonelli’s ascent to F1 is much like that of reigning world champion Max Verstappen.
The Dutchman went straight from Method Three to an F1 seat in 2015, changing into the youngest driver to ever begin a grand prix at age 17. Antonelli skipped F3 altogether and went straight to F2 in 2024 after being topped champion in Method Regional Europe and Method Regional Center East final yr. It got here after 4 consecutive title victories, relationship again to 2020 (European karting twice, ADAC F4 and Italian F4).
Skipping a step within the motorsport ladder and fast-tracking a driver’s profession isn’t the standard Mercedes strategy. With Russell, for instance, he competed at each stage — F4, F3, F2 – earlier than reaching F1. However as Antonelli ascended, skepticism adopted.
Spectators and the media will possible analyze any mistake the younger driver makes, significantly when racing for a front-running group.
“One of many principal components is that when you have got a group like Mercedes round you that actually consider in you, they usually have been believing in me from a extremely younger age, it actually lets you really feel and to deal with this strain very well,” Antonelli stated when requested how he’s making ready to deal with the strain.
Marco Antonelli and Andrea Kimi Antonelli after Method 2 Dash Race at Silverstone Circuit in Northampton, Nice Britain on July 6, 2024. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto through Getty Pictures)
“Though generally I nonetheless don’t address that completely, I nonetheless get the fitting help from Mercedes but in addition from my household, so I’m actually joyful to be with them and actually pleased with the help they’ve been giving me. Not solely prior to now however these days.”
Antonelli was born in Bologna and comes from a household the place each dad and mom are concerned in his profession, a father (who has expertise racing in European touring automobiles) with sturdy racing information and a mom who continues to be supportive, Wolff stated.
The Mercedes group boss mentioned how humility and loyalty are important qualities for the 18-year-old, sharing that the household remained dedicated to Mercedes regardless of rival groups pursuing him. “Marco Antonelli has all the time been clear: ‘You gave us the chance, and that’s why we’re sticking with you.’”
After which, there’s Antonelli’s uncooked expertise. There are qualities that you may’t train a driver, and Wolff reiterated how “it’s simpler to make somebody relax when it comes to aggressiveness than the opposite method round.”
“James Allison truly stated when (Antonelli) launched himself on the first lap (on Friday), the primary braking into the chicane, he had each tires into the grass already,” Wolff continued. “So the distinction between free follow and qualifying we have now to debate!
“However that’s additionally Kimi. He’s placing the automotive into the bottom, and (to) have the ability to crush — crush it, not crash it — it on the primary lap is a good skill.”
A brand new period
It may be daunting strolling into the game as a rookie.
They’ve skilled their entire lives for this second, dreaming of reaching the head of motorsport, however coping with the noise is a distinct story. Antonelli will be a part of the grid as an 18-year-old, the third youngest F1 driver in historical past when he debuts in Australia, filling the emptiness left by one of many greatest names within the sport, Lewis Hamilton.
Antonelli doesn’t view his promotion as changing the seven-time world champion however as beginning a brand new chapter in Mercedes’ storied historical past.
“I feel it’s not potential to exchange Lewis Hamilton. He’s such an excellent determine within the sport of at this time and he has achieved a lot in his profession. So I don’t need to be seen as his substitute – I’m simply the following driver for Mercedes in 2025,” Antonelli stated. “I’m actually excited for that. However he’s a extremely nice driver, and he has been actually giving some help, so I’m actually joyful.”
Hamilton has been with Mercedes for 12 seasons, establishing one of many longest driver-team relationships on the grid. The Briton shocked the F1 world when information broke he was transferring to Ferrari from 2025. Wolff stated he made up his thoughts on who would fill the emptiness 5 minutes after he spoke with Hamilton about his resolution.
“We gained eight constructors’ titles and 6 drivers’ titles collectively, and he’s the most important persona within the sport, with the most important gravitas and worldwide recognition, however he’s additionally the one who has crushed all of the data,” Wolff stated. “When Lewis determined to go for an additional problem, nobody can exchange him in all of his stature. However that doesn’t imply that the group is just not going to prosper with two drivers that characterize the longer term.”
Antonelli debriefs with Peter Bonnington at Monza. Bonnington is Hamilton’s long-time engineer and can serve the identical position for Antonelli in 2025. (Professional Pictures/Sipa USA)
Antonelli stated he remained targeted on delivering on his F2 marketing campaign and testing of earlier automobiles (TPC) whereas Wolff and Mercedes mentioned his future. In line with Antonelli and Wolff, he has completed round 10 TPCs this yr, together with two at Pink Bull Ring (it snowed throughout one), two at Barcelona, and one every at Imola, Spa and Silverstone. The group boss added, “We’ll proceed with that, as a result of once you take a look at the blueprint again within the day that Lewis gave, it was numerous testing to arrange not just for the driving but in addition going by way of the race weekend preparation, it’s what we’ve completed within the final one. In order that program goes to proceed.”
Mercedes did take into account inserting Antonelli at Williams because it did with Russell from 2019 to 2021, Wolff stated. The group believed the testing program would higher assist Antonelli proceed his F1 equipment training. Wolff added, “I feel the extra kilometers you do, particularly in a automotive that isn’t nice, the TPC automotive (which was the 2022 automotive) was not our greatest automotive, it’s going to get him between 15 and 20 days underneath his belt, and that’s necessary.”
Antonelli lately stated he perhaps wasn’t able to leap to F1, however on Saturday, he stated the TPC program helped him put together. He started feeling higher whereas driving the automotive and seeing enchancment, resembling within the lengthy runs (which he stated was a earlier weak level). He admitted that he’s nonetheless studying however added, “Each time I acquired within the automotive, I really feel so significantly better.”
Errors occur. Loads of the perfect drivers have misstepped of their careers, particularly within the early days. What’s necessary and can form the start of Antonelli’s profession is how he learns and grows previous his FP1 crash, making his identify as a part of a storied F1 group.
“That’s going to be a useful lesson as a result of it’s not about having enjoyable in an F3 automotive in Silverstone within the rain,” Wolff stated. “That is Method One – there’s numerous duty that comes with it, for the perfect automotive model on the planet, for a lot of hundreds of individuals. And that’s why Kimi yesterday realized in a really, very laborious method. I feel that second should have been very robust. And compromised George for his day and his weekend, and Kimi is aware of that.
“However generally, it must sting. Then it sticks.”
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Prime picture: Sipa USA
