Kimi Antonelli has given new perception into how Mercedes dealt with Lewis Hamilton’s departure forward of the 2025 Formulation 1 marketing campaign.
On 1 February 2024, it was introduced that Hamilton was going to depart his longtime Mercedes squad to affix Ferrari from the 2025 season onwards.
The transfer was a direct consequence of Mercedes not giving the seven-time world champion a agency contract for 2025 – the two-year deal ranging from 2024 featured escape clauses that Hamilton was ready to make use of. However the motive for these phrases was workforce principal Toto Wolff’s keenness to not let Antonelli slip by way of his fingers the best way Max Verstappen had a decade prior.
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Nonetheless, selling the Italian teen to the workforce was removed from a no brainer. When Wolff came upon about Hamilton’s exit, days earlier than it was introduced, the 17-year-old was but to race in F1’s most important two feeder sequence.
Antonelli’s racing document was proof of his super potential – titles in Italian F4, ADAC F4, Formulation Regional Center East and Formulation Regional Europe over his first two years in single-seaters – however bypassing F3 to leap straight to F2 already was a tall order.
But, Antonelli has revealed in SAP’s newest Important Figures video that Wolff had brazenly made him his favorite to affix George Russell at Mercedes as early as January – even earlier than the Hamilton information formally got here out.
“I used to be in Silverstone, and I used to be testing Formulation 3 to study the monitor as a result of I used to be going to race there with Formulation 2,” Antonelli narrated.
“And I keep in mind on the finish of the day, Toto known as me over to his workplace. And already there, I used to be a bit confused as a result of I am like, it does not actually occur, ?
“So, I bought into his workplace. Clearly, it is Toto, there’s Rosa [Herrero Venegas, senior PR manager] – she’s the one serving to me throughout race weekends.
“Toto, to start with, did not waste any time – went straight to the purpose. This was even earlier than Lewis was introduced to Ferrari.
“So, he stated, ‘Look, Lewis goes to Ferrari, and we have been considering to place you within the automobile for subsequent yr’. And I am like, ‘Whoa!’, my eyes have been like broad open.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes F1 W15
Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photographs
“I used to be like, ‘Are you kidding me?’, as a result of I hadn’t even began F2. So, I had nonetheless a lot to show – a lot to show that I may earn that spot. And Toto was already speaking about it!
“I used to be like, ‘OK’. And he was like, ‘Properly, if the chance comes, will you be prepared?’, and I stated, ‘Yeah, I imply, I’ve bought to be prepared’. However in fact, then the workforce additionally helped me as a result of they made me do testing with the Formulation 1 [car].”
Antonelli had a scrappy F2 marketing campaign – as Wolff did anticipate from such an inexperienced driver – however nonetheless took a few race victories and was formally introduced as a Mercedes F1 driver on 31 August, as he lay seventh within the F2 standings.
Even then, he may hardly imagine it. “Really, I used to be extraordinarily pleased, however on the similar time, it was such an enormous factor for me that it took me some time to grasp what has simply occurred,” Antonelli added. “And I keep in mind mendacity on this sunbed within the terrace, simply staring on the sky as a result of I used to be simply making an attempt to course of what has simply occurred.”
“I let the strain destroy me”
Regardless of Antonelli’s apparent potential, Wolff by no means shied away from the truth that his promotion to Mercedes had been rushed by Hamilton’s sudden exit. The rookie’s 2025 season was unsurprisingly up-and-down, as he took fourth on debut in Melbourne and scored a maiden F1 podium in Montreal, however went on to gather simply three factors at European circuits. This hardship took a toll on his psychological well being on the time.
Requested about dealing with strain from the expectation and perception folks had in him, Antonelli replied: “Largely final yr I felt this, as a result of clearly I had an excellent begin of the season. Then I had a troublesome interval, European season, the place I actually struggled.
“And in that second, I let the strain like form of destroy me as effectively throughout that interval, as a result of I felt like I used to be letting down so many individuals who had believed in me. In fact, particularly Toto, as a result of he was the principle one who took the choice. And clearly I did not really feel good in that interval, , I wasn’t doing effectively.
George Russell, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Photographs through Getty Photographs
“However then clearly I had an enormous assembly with the workforce after the European season and it form of allowed me to reset and simply begin once more. I slowly discovered my manner again, after which I had an excellent second half of the season.
“Having the ability to overcome these troublesome moments gave me the arrogance forward of this yr and likewise made me study loads about myself, not solely as a driver however as an individual as effectively.
“In that European season, in all probability, a lot of the issues that I did did not assist me in any respect. I’ve realized about how my physique responds to these moments, how my mind responds, what helps myself to get again into the precise focus, the precise mindset, what helps me to remain 100% when it comes to vitality throughout the entire weekend, methods to handle myself with occasions, clearly the driving and every little thing. So I’ve realized loads about myself and the way as effectively to answer troublesome moments.”
The distinction couldn’t be starker between 2025-spec Antonelli and the driving force who’s now main the world championship after profitable 5 grands prix in a row – a feat no one has achieved with out profitable the world title.
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Requested how steep the educational curve had been and the way overwhelming it had felt, Antonelli admitted: “Massive time. I used to be so drained on the finish of the yr.
“Clearly the workforce did an unimaginable job on making an attempt to guard me. However the studying curve – I believe I realized rather more than if I had gone in a smaller workforce. I felt the educational curve was unimaginable. It felt like doing three years directly. And it was overwhelming, bodily, mentally, as a result of I made so many new experiences as effectively.
“And likewise doing a full F1 season for the primary time, you do not actually know the place you are going, what you are about to face. As a result of clearly the yr previous to F1, I would been doing race-shadowing and every little thing, however it’s not the identical, clearly. And since once I was doing shadowing, I used to be watching, I wasn’t there on monitor doing the job.
“So I felt very overwhelmed on the finish of the yr. And it was good to have a little bit of a break to simply have a little bit of time to analyse and replicate on the yr and perceive what have been the nice issues and why, and why some issues went not in the precise manner.”
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