“As a rookie in F1, there’s nowhere to hide”: Karun Chandhok fires warning to Mercedes debutant Kimi Antonelli 

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, an 18-year-old rookie racer, is set to make his F1 debut with Mercedes. Ahead of the big season, F1 analyst Karun Chandok fired a warning to the Italian teenager, suggesting that expectations to deliver good performances will be high as rookies can no longer hide their faces.

Mercedes found themselves in a precarious position at the beginning of the 2024 F1 season as Lewis Hamilton announced his shocking departure to Ferrari. A distressed team principal, Toto Wolff, spent months looking for an alternative before his quest stopped at Antonelli.

The 18-year-old teenager had made his F2 debut last year and lacked necessary experience. However, Wolff trusted in his raw talent and embraced the leap of faith.

Meanwhile, ahead of Antonelli's debut season, F1 pundit Karun Chandok warned the Italian teenager of high expectations. He suggested that the margin of errors for rookies had diminished since the likes of Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and George Russell have dominated.

Speaking on the Sky F1 podcast, Chandok was asked if Kimi Antonelli's rookie status could lead to lesser scrutiny. To this, he replied (via Planet F1):

"I don’t think so. I think whether you’re driving for the team who’s finished 10th in the championship or the team at the front of the grid, as a rookie in F1, there’s nowhere to hide. You’ve got people like us analysing every single sector of every single lap that they do."

He added that expectations on rookies are high in F1 lately.

"And for Kimi Antonelli, the fact that he’s coming in as a rookie, but with a top team, means you’re expected to deliver. You know, the expectations on rookies is high. You can’t just be there saying, ‘Oh, I’m here to learn’, anymore."

Antonelli made his practice session debut with Mercedes in the 2022 Italian Grand Prix. However, 10 minutes into the FP1 session, he spun and crashed on the barriers, marking the end of his dramatic debut.

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Toto Wolff opens up on Kimi Antonelli defining his 'prodigy' tag

Toto Wolff with Kimi Antonelli (Image Source: Getty)

Since joining Mercedes' junior drive program, Andrea Kimi Antonelli has been highly rated, earning the tag of 'prodigy.' However, team principal Toto Wolff has suggested that Antonelli has to prove himself worthy of that tag.

Talking to Auto Motor und Sport, Wolff said (via Sportsrush):

"He will only be a prodigy when he truly delivers in Formula 1. We hope it happens sooner rather than later, but certainly not right at the beginning."

Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli says that he is not out there to replace Lewis Hamilton. Those are big shoes to be filled, and instead, Antonelli would like to succeed the seven-time world champion. He wants to create his new identity with Mercedes.

Moreover, since his contract is also expiring at the end of the 2025 season, the pressure is likely to be heavy on the 18-year-old's shoulders.