Villeneuve questions Mercedes’ gamble : ‘Too soon for Antonelli’

Jacques Villeneuve has voiced strong reservations about Mercedes’ decision to thrust 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli into a race seat for the 2025 season, labeling it a risky and premature move.

With Lewis Hamilton’s unexpected departure to Ferrari leaving a void at the iconic team, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has opted to pair the untested Italian teenager with George Russell rather than a seasoned driver like Carlos Sainz.

Villeneuve’s critique comes as Mercedes braces for a pivotal year, with Russell stepping into a leadership role and Antonelli facing intense scrutiny as he steps up from a lackluster Formula 2 campaign.

The decision to promote Antonelli, a protégé Wolff has nurtured since his karting days at age 12, reflects a bold gamble by Mercedes to secure its future.

At 27, Russell now has the chance to prove himself as the team’s cornerstone, unshackled from Hamilton’s shadow, but his ability to lead remains unproven.

Meanwhile, Antonelli’s rapid ascent has raised eyebrows, particularly given his struggles in Formula 2 last season, prompting Villeneuve to question whether Mercedes has placed too much faith in potential over proven performance.

A Bold Choice but Massive Pressure

For Wolff, the choice to back Antonelli over a driver like Sainz – who was ousted by Ferrari to make way for Hamilton – underscores a long-term vision, bolstered by the safety net of Valtteri Bottas’ return as a reserve.

Bottas, a key figure in Mercedes’ five consecutive Constructors’ titles from 2017 to 2021, offers experience and stability if Antonelli falters.

However, Villeneuve warns that this experiment could backfire, placing undue pressure on the teenager and complicating the team’s dynamics as they navigate the post-Hamilton era.

“It’s too much too soon," claimed the 1997 F1 world champion in an interview with gambling website yaysweepstakes.com.

“Kimi Antonelli had a terrible season in Formula 2. Is it because he was already signed for F1 and the pressure got the better of him? Who knows?

“Or maybe he didn’t like that kind of car, and maybe it’s better for him to be in a Formula 1 car. These are all question marks that we will find out very quickly, very soon.

“He seems to be capable of taking risks and pushing the car, but as for feeling where that edge is, we don’t know yet. And how does he work over a full season developing and evolving the car?”

• Read also: Antonelli reveals masterplan for F1 rookie glory with Mercedes

The Canadian also highlighted the uncertainty surrounding Antonelli’s dynamic with Russell, a critical factor for Mercedes’ development efforts.

“How will the balance be between him and Russell? Will they work hand in hand with similar driving styles, or will they have completely opposite driving styles, which would make it difficult for the team to evolve the car in a direction that pleases both drivers?” Villeneuve questioned.

“The jury is out on Antonelli, but so many people in the media want him to be amazing. I hope he is because if not, it will be a very heavy load for him to carry—a lot of pressure on his shoulders.”

A Gamble Driven by Loyalty and Investment

Villeneuve suggested that Mercedes’ decision may be clouded by Wolff’s deep personal and financial investment in Antonelli, which began when the team started funding his karting career at age 12.

“Toto took Antonelli on when he was 12, when they started financing his karting career,” he remarked.

“It’s a long relationship that started then, and when you take a 12-year-old under your wing, it’s like a father-son relationship.

“That builds up over time, and if that happens, the thought process can become a little skewed. You want it to happen, so I don’t know.

“He’s definitely been competitive and super quick in every category except for Formula 2, so that’s something we will have to find out.”

The 53-year-old questioned whether Mercedes’ commitment has overridden objective judgment.

“They’ve been heavily invested in him financially for so many years too. It’s hard to reach the point where you think, ‘Oh, maybe he’s not good enough.’ No, hold on—we’ve invested so much into this that he must be good,” Villeneuve added.

“There’s a little bit of that in the process. And he has everything in his hands to prove that he’s good. Out of all those years, he’s had one average season, which was Formula 2 last year. So let’s hope that that was the odd season.”

Bottas as a Safety Net: A Calculated Risk?

With Bottas back in the fold, Mercedes has a fallback option if Antonelli struggles, but Villeneuve dismissed the Finn’s experience as a definitive solution.

“Is Valtteri Bottas really better? It doesn’t matter if he has more experience—if you look at last season, if you’re not quick, you’re not quick,” he argued.

Instead, he framed Mercedes’ strategy as a gamble rooted in desire rather than evidence.

“They’ve taken a risk and gambled based on something they deeply wanted, rather than results from last year. They’ve made the decision, and they will make sure that that decision works out.

“It’s more that they have decided what the outcome should be, so they will try to make sure that this outcome happens.”

As Mercedes embarks on this high-stakes experiment, Villeneuve’s comments underscore the pressure on Antonelli to deliver – and on Wolff to justify a choice that could define the team’s future.

With Russell’s leadership untested and Antonelli’s potential still a question mark, 2025 promises to reveal whether Mercedes’ bold vision pays off or leaves them scrambling to recover.

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