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Kimi Antonelli admits that there is a realization that he's replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, and it's not only a privilege but a responsibility as well. The German team was rocked at the start of the 2024 F1 season when it was announced that the 7x world champion was leaving the team at the end of the season.
After a partnership that lasted more than a decade, Hamilton had decided that he was moving on to Ferrari in pursuit of winning his 8th title with the Italian outfit. In a decision that Toto Wolff claims was made there and then, the German team decided to give the young teenage prospect Antonelli a shot.
Kimi Antonelli has been someone that Mercedes has been grooming to be the next big thing in F1. The young Italian was picked up during his karting days and has since then blitzed every field he's been a part of. In 2023, he dominated the FRECA racing series, which led to the German team opting to skip F3 and jump straight to F2.
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After some impressive showings, Toto Wolff made up his mind and hence announced Antonelli as a replacement for Lewis Hamilton. The decision means that the young Italian would be only 18 years of age when he makes his debut. When questioned what it means to replace the 7x champion, Antonelli told The Athletic (via NY Times):
“I’m the next Mercedes driver and I’m taking the seat of someone who made history in the sport, so it’s a big privilege. It’s a big responsibility, but I’ve got the right people around me.”
He added that there was a bit of responsibility he felt considering the hype there is around him at the moment. He said:
“There’s a lot more hype around, of course, heading into next season. Definitely, you feel a bit of responsibility because you know you’ve got Italy behind you. Everyone expects me to be successful, especially because I’ll be racing a Mercedes. But it’s also really exciting. I cannot wait for next year to get started and also I cannot wait for my home race at Imola. I would love to see so many Italians cheering.”
Kimi Antonelli on relationship with Toto Wolff
Kimi Antonelli is someone that Toto Wolff has kept an eye on since his karting days and it was at that point that he was picked up by Mercedes as part of its academy. Wolff has had a lot of praise for the young Italian and the teenager reciprocates the same. Talking about his boss, Antonelli opened up about how supportive Wolff has been of him as he said:
“We have a great relationship, not only professionally, but also outside of the track. He’s a great guy, really supportive during great moments but also during difficult moments. I’m super happy to be with him. He’s been giving me a lot of help.”
A strong season from Kimi Antonelli could be a record-breaking one from him as well. There are multiple records like most points in a rookie season or most wins or pole positions that the young Italian could break if he does end up fulfilling the expectations that the F1 fraternity has of him.
