Sir Lewis Hamilton: How do you replace a seven-time world champion, a winner of 103 Grand Prix races, and a Knight of the Realm? You hire a driver of equal caliber—someone like Max Verstappen or Fernando Alonso. George Russell and Lando Norris are undoubtedly great drivers, but the Hamiltons of this world are just that extra step above. However, since Mercedes doesn’t have the option of hiring the next best driver on the grid, they’ve chosen to bet on the most hyped-up talent, Kimi Antonelli.
Kimi Antonelli is Mercedes’ protégé, having joined the team at age 11. He has since competed in karting and, as of today, junior Formula series. I haven’t closely followed his progress, but according to Toto Wolff, Antonelli possesses the same winning traits that a young Max Verstappen displayed during his rise through the ranks.
Even Lewis Hamilton has endorsed Antonelli as his potential successor, as Hamilton is set to move to Ferrari in 2025. Behind the scenes, Mercedes has been preparing Antonelli by conducting extensive track testing in older-spec F1 cars. He put that preparation to the test during his debut in Friday practice at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix.
Antonelli took over George Russell’s car for one session as part of his initial induction for 2025. Ten minutes into the session, he crashed at the Parabolica—a high-speed, sweeping last corner that slingshots drivers toward the finish line.
It’s very rare for a modern F1 car to lose control at the Parabolica. The corner is best approached with a slight bit of caution, and if you exceed the limit by just 2-5 mph beyond what the car and aerodynamics can handle, you’ll go straight off into the gravel trap. Antonelli went in so hot that he slammed into the tire barrier, bringing the session to a red flag.
The Indestructibility Gene
An F1 debut that ends in a crash just 10 minutes into a 1 hour 30-minute session shouldn’t necessarily be seen as a bad omen. Or should it? Antonelli is only 18 years old, and he looked it as he extracted himself from the wreckage of his damaged Mercedes W20.
Consider this: an 18-year-old Italian wunderkind making his debut at the Italian Grand Prix. The Mercedes publicity department did a commendable job carefully planning this debut, but they seemed to overlook the indestructibility gene that comes with being 18.
This indestructibility gene is omnipresent, almost omnipotent, and difficult to contain. Antonelli’s 2025 season will likely be defined either by the cost of repairing his crashes or by how often he outperforms his teammate, George Russell.
