Red Bull star Max Verstappen feels he ‘got lucky’ in a way that Mercedes could deny Andrea Kimi Antonelli if they promote the Italian to replace Lewis Hamilton in 2025.
The Silver Arrows are studying a rapid promotion into Formula 1 for Antonelli after Hamilton announced his departure. Ferrari signed the seven-time drivers’ champion with a multi-year contract in February. But Mercedes are still yet to decide who obtains the 39-year-old’s seat.
Antonelli instantly emerged as an early contender to replace Hamilton, despite the 17-year-old making his Formula 2 debut this year. Mercedes secured their academy prospect a drive for Prema for 2024, and are now starting to see his potential rise to the fore in the category.
Mercedes are considering Andrea Kimi Antonelli to replace Lewis Hamilton
A strong rookie F2 campaign might well lead to a seat on F1’s grid in 2025 for Antonelli, too. Mark Hughes of The Race reported in February after Hamilton announced that he is leaving Mercedes at the end of this season that Toto Wolff views Antonelli as ‘the next Verstappen’.
Wolff even viewed Antonelli as Mercedes’ Plan-A option to replace Hamilton. But the unrest at Red Bull has created the possibility of Verstappen switching Milton Keynes for Brackley, as well. Yet Antonelli could still graduate to F1 with Williams by securing Logan Sargeant’s seat.
READ MORE: Who is Mercedes academy driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli? Everything you need to know
Verstappen is sure that Antonelli is a ‘very talented’ driver after winning German and Italian F4 titles in 2022, plus a Formula Regional European and Middle East double in 2023. But the Red Bull racer has appeared to suggest that debuting in F1 for Mercedes could be a mistake.
Max Verstappen tells Andrea Kimi Antonelli, ‘You have to make mistakes’ in Formula 1
Three-time reigning F1 champion Verstappen believes Antonelli must have the opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them once in the pinnacle of motorsport. But taking over Hamilton’s Mercedes seat may deny the Italian the chance Verstappen got with Toro Rosso.
Verstappen said, via quotes by GPBlog: “When you’re talented, and you can see that with Kimi, he’s very talented. I don’t think you should be too worried, just make mistakes – you have to make mistakes.
“Ideally, of course, you [would] like to make those mistakes when you’re not fighting for championships. I also got lucky with that, starting at Toro Rosso. So, at the time, not many people are looking at you all the time. You can make some silly mistakes here and there.
“But it’s important to make them because even though you tell yourself all the time, ‘I cannot do this, I cannot do that’, you will only adapt if you make them and move forward.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli is starting to show his skills in Formula 2
Antonelli finds his name associated with replacing Hamilton at Mercedes or Sargeant driving for Williams having swept F4 and Formula Regional titles. Now, his talent is starting to show in Formula 2, as well, with the Bologna native sixth in the standings after the first 10 races.
Prema struggled to get to grips with F2’s new-for-2024 car at the season-opening Bahrain GP event. But Antonelli continued to settle in at the Saudi Arabian GP before his P4 results in the Feature races at the Australian GP and Emilia Romagna GP plus the Monaco GP Sprint.
His first podium and race win in Formula 2 are Antonelli’s next goals when the series goes to the Spanish GP next. The Italian was in contention to reach the rostrum in the Feature race at the Monaco GP, before losing places to drivers running an alternative strategy due to traffic.
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