For boss Toto Wolff, it’s private selling Andrea Kimi Antonelli to a System 1 race seat with the Silver Arrows squad at simply 18.
Wolff is viewing Antonelli’s sensational rise by way of the junior formulation as the possibility to place proper what went improper in Mercedes lacking out on ’s providers again in 2014.
Motorsport.com understands that the Austrian even feels that, had Verstappen been below his wing as Antonelli is now, then the outbursts and incidents which have tracked by way of the world champion’s profession would’ve been decreased in quantity, if not eradicated altogether.
Understanding Wolff is a crucial side of Antonelli’s story thus far – simply someday away from making his first official F1 race weekend look as a full-time driver. A Monza one-off in entrance of his residence Italian crowd this isn’t.
Wolff signed Antonelli – the son of GT racer Marco Antonelli who owns AKM Motorsport racing crew and has a tricky man fame in motorsport circles – again in 2018 when he was simply 12. A improvement programme with F1 as the final word vacation spot adopted, with Wolff now thought of a agency buddy of the Antonelli household.
As a a number of karting champion, Antonelli stepped as much as automotive racing in System 4 in 2021 – profitable the Italian and ADAC championships the next yr. Then in 2023 and simply his first season, Antonelli received the System Regional European championship that F1 groups have come to view as the most effective breeding floor for future driving success, in addition to its Center East variation.
Mercedes opted to skip the F3 step on the F1 assist invoice and place Antonelli straight in System 2 for 2024 – with the intention for the famously precarious championship to cease his ‘profitable straightforward’ streak.
How F1 drivers are dealing with the strain on the Australian Grand Prix
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“Winter preparation has been fairly intense. I have been spending lots of time on the manufacturing unit making an attempt to do lots of crew constructing. However, up to now, it has been actually fascinating and it is gone nicely.
“I have been actually making an attempt to focus, day-to-day, on the progress and making an attempt to give attention to making an attempt to study as many issues as doable. As a result of what I need to keep away from is arriving to Melbourne and having some dangerous surprises. So undoubtedly preparation has been fairly intense, however excellent.”
Pre-season testing in 2025 went nicely for Mercedes, with Antonelli’s day two race simulation shading Ferrari’s by simply 0.1s every lap on common.
However, Antonelli left Bahrain lamenting a scarcity of preparation in extracting the most effective from the Pirelli tyres in qualifying because of time misplaced in surprising rain after which a battery concern. Qualifying is, in any case, certainly one of his new team-mate Russell’s biggest strengths.
“For the lengthy runs, I obtained fairly a good understanding as a result of I have been doing lots of lengthy runs and been experiencing various kinds of approaches,” he stated. “[For example,] find out how to introduce the tyre into the run.
“While for qualifying, there’s nonetheless some work to do.
“But it surely’s primarily due to testing we have been making an attempt lots of totally different approaches with tyres. Additionally totally different form of out-laps so as to see how the tyres react and the way it holds on through the lap.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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However, nearly as good as Bahrain went for the Silver Arrows squad, Ferrari and Purple Bull are anticipated to have maintained their positions above Mercedes within the four-way scrap with .
This implies Antonelli will likely be doing his studying within the glare of the media highlight to which solely Liam Lawson will be capable of relate of the massive rookie crop this season.
It additionally means Antonelli is prone to be retreading the bottom of studying to win at a brand new and even more durable degree. And, ought to there be any repeats of his 2024 Monza FP1 shunting, then it’s doubtless Wolff might want to choose his cost up simply as he did at crucial occasions final yr.
“After we determined to go for Kimi, it was clear that we’re going for a younger driver that has proven super potential within the junior collection since we have identified him,” Wolff stated in Melbourne on Thursday.
“For Kimi, it is concerning the time to develop, to study the tracks, to be on high for subsequent yr, the regulation change. Which means nice outcomes and meaning moments the place it is going to be tougher.”
Pictures from Australian GP – ThursdayJack Doohan, Alpine
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Liam Lawson, Purple Bull Racing
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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
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Max Verstappen, Purple Bull Racing
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Ferrari followers
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Liam Lawson, Purple Bull Racing
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes with Charlie Curnow
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Oscar Piastri, McLaren
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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes on the Press Convention
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Liam Lawson, Purple Bull Racing
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Liam Lawson, Purple Bull Racing
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Purple Bull Racing prepares for a pit cease
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