Antonelli finds common ground with Hamilton that he ‘didn’t expect’

Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli has revealed a surprising advantage he enjoys ahead of his Formula 1 debut in 2025 — his driving style closely mirrors that of the very driver he is set to replace, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Over the course of his extensive testing programme with Mercedes this year, the team’s data clearly pointed to similar traits between the young Italian’s approach and Hamilton’s natural style.

Speaking to Sky Italia at this weekend’s Il Festival dello Sport in Trento, Antonelli admitted to being surprised by his alignment with Hamilton which could make his transition smoother.

“I didn’t expect that, he’s very nice and talks to me a lot,” Antonelli said. “And looking at the data, his driving style seems similar to mine.

“I was in Singapore and listening to him talk to the engineers – I learned a lot.”

Antonelli has been diligently preparing for his F1 debut, not only testing with Mercedes but also immersing himself in the team's procedures and debriefs on race weekends.

“What I will have to get used to is hearing all the engineers on headphones, because I am one who talks very little,” he explained.

“But if they talk, it is to give useful information, I will have to learn the procedures well, if you touch a wrong button it is a mess.

“I will be getting a steering wheel seat at home soon to learn the starts and the various procedures. Also because you have to know where each button is without having to look.”

• Read also: Russell expects to really be kept ‘on my toes’ by Antonelli

The teenage sensation has mightily impressed the Mercedes team during his 2024 testing program, driving a 2022-spec W13 silver arrow under the Testing of a Previous Car (TPC) program.

Antonelli recounted a pivotal moment during a test at Spa earlier this year, when his rapid adaptation and improvements in managing race pace – a relative weakness he had previously displayed – solidified Mercedes’ decision to promote him to F1.

"During the TPC [testing of previous cars] tests, one thing that impressed them was how quickly I got to the limit and how quickly I got to the target lap times that Mercedes wanted,” he explained.

“But I have to say that the factor on which I struggled the most during testing was the race pace.

“However, in the last two days of testing at Spa, I improved the race pace considerably, and that pushed Mercedes to sign me.

“Until that moment, they had an idea that they wanted to put me in the Mercedes car in 2025, but first they wanted to see if I could improve those weaknesses I had.

“During the Spa tests, I made a good step forward and that convinced Mercedes.

“In fact, before the summer break, I had a call with [Toto] Wolff, my engineer and other people from Mercedes. It was there they told me that I would be one of their drivers in 2025. It was a good moment."

Mercedes may be tempering its expectations for Antonelli, particularly after his first FP1 session at Monza was cut short by a crash just ten minutes in, but the young driver has set his sights high.

Despite the early setback, Antonelli remains confident and ambitious, stating that his goal for his rookie F1 season is nothing less than becoming a race winner!

"I feel ready for F1,” he explained. “In terms of speed, I think it won't be a problem. The only thing where there will be a lot of work to do is about how to manage the weekend in the best possible way and also to learn all the procedures.

“So, there will be a lot of things to learn.

“Definitely winning some races [next year] would be a dream. It won't be easy, because all the teams will have a competitive car, so it will be very difficult, but this is the target.

“Some podiums would also be good, but the main goal is to bring home some wins.”

As the only Italian on the 2025 grid, Antonelli faces the unique position of racing against Ferrari, a team he grew up supporting. However, he is fully focused on representing Mercedes and delivering success for his team.

“I used to be a fan of the Rossa, but now I clearly think of Mercedes,” Antonelli said. “I was a fan of the Cavallino as a kid, though, and I really liked Sebastian Vettel. I should still have a mug of his at home.”

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