Six reasons Mercedes chose Kimi Antonelli to replace Lewis Hamilton in F1

[@iamlato]

tbh im glad we're getting a bunch of new rookies again. i like when the grid is really scrambled up like this

[@pooyakhalili406]

Finally, one of the top teams put a young talent in their car. It's nice to see. He has a lot of potential and will learn from his mistakes

[@DarkPhoenixDack125]

He has an average finishing position of 7th in F2 (the races he's finished) and a single win. I'm not entirely sure where the talent is to be honest. Oscar Piastri had one 5 races with an average finishing position of 4th for comparison. You can get your hopes up, but I don't expect much.

[@diogoribas6420]

Piastri

[@meirl5700]

@@DarkPhoenixDack125f2 supposedly isn’t a good metric this season because the racing teams can’t figure them out, good example is bearman doing well in his f1 race sub for sainz earlier this season but is currently worse than kimi in the standings. It’s likely the winner of F2 this season won’t get a drive, and no 2 is a rb academy driver so assuming they do kick either Perez or riccardo out he’s relegated to reserve until like 2026/7. And the Williams swap for sergeant this week also hasn’t been too good in F2.

[@j.b.o6829]

@@DarkPhoenixDack125F2 is an absolute joke of a series and shouldn’t be taken seriously

[@DarkPhoenixDack125]

@@meirl5700 Bearman finished 7th in the 2nd fastest car. I guess him not crashing and making into Q2 was a good showing?

[@user-tn4ix6ir6z]

Looks like a rookie that isn't afraid to push the car to the bleeding edge

[@Avonnieuwland]

Exactly, this wasn’t a usual rookie crash. This is young kid immediately driving on the edge comfortable. Just pushed bit a to far, but he learned it the hard way .

[@xtinct16]

Mick Schumacher was the same, but on a much worse unpredictable car and look where he is now.

[@Patrick_MX]

@@Avonnieuwland thats what im sayying like when you race on iracing with a new car track layout you crash/spin more times you can count to find the limits

[@Melbourne-s4x]

Bleeding edge AKA fence

[@ch4se98]

I mean lot of experienced drivers went off and had a near moments in that corner so what do you expect from rookie who skipped f3. I will be cheering for him next season for sure.

[@sandalphoncpu]

I’m glad The Race displayed the telemetry of Antonelli’s stints. He got the mix of aggression and confidence straight away just like Hamilton, Vettel, and Verstappen before him, and we’ve seen what they achieved over the years. It’s up to Mercedes to iron out his weaknesses and extract his full potential

[@Quick_in_and_out]

Let's not forget that Max took many years to iron out the creases (I'd even argue he's still working on that in terms of his overtaking and defending being over the line and relying on others not wanting a visit to the hospital due to a high speed crash).

[@mr_exia]

Toto to Williams: "Take Mick, he's a good driver who couldn't show his abilities." Toto for his own team:

[@smartawesome376]

Was quite unfortunate that his crash was so big and overshadowed his debut

[@Ethanius_Zeus]

I’m gonna root for both of them, I believe Kimi will be the next super max and bearman will be the next Charles but better.

[@TassieLorenzo]

Ultimately it was Antonelli's own fault as much as it was Mercedes GP's fault for putting Antonelli on a qualifying sim plan to attempt to get him to top the session to make for a more impressive driver announcement.

[@Raiga2k9]

Toto wants this to be his Max SO BADLY.

[@Uranswer-yu5kp]

Well to be honest Wolf made a huge mistake by not contracting Max when he should have. While there are valid reasons for this decision he knows he made a mistake. Why Merc only gave Lewis a 1+1. They didn’t want to to have another Max debacle on their hands.

[@garythefishable]

Max used to crash a lot when he was young aswell so you could say this was a positive start if thats what he's after.

[@kenzabel5394]

well if kimi begin to beat russell then he's better than max, cause max didn't face very fast drivers as temamates in his career and to be this young and beat a fast driver is very special lewis did it in 2007 but he was 21 while kimi is 18 and skipped f3 and only had one year in f2

[@Karincl7]

Nobody wants a max rookie

[@Nikelaos_Khristianos]

Renault tried this before in the 00s. They promoted Grosjean before he was ready in 2009 - they thought he was the next Alonso because it worked before - and early Grosjean was bloody fast but also extremely crash-happy (like more so than when he came back in 2012!) So this really could go either way for Mercedes. 🤷‍♂️

[@gileshalliwell3591]

Ken Tyrrell said of one driver “you can tidy up speed but you can’t speed up tidinesses..”

[@bimoaa]

he missed a media session? He really is Kimi

[@aprilp660]

Side note but it is crazy how safety systems have allowed drivers to shake off a 53G impact. Amazing engineering!

[@mikolaygrudzien8764]

the reality is, if it was the seventies, this young kid may not have walked away. With all the safety measures in place less talented drivers can survive and continue. Some really talented drivers lost their lives in the past, there was no such thing as pay drivers, the possibility of losing your life was all too real, it took a special breed.

[@GameOver-nm2us]

@@mikolaygrudzien8764 there was nothing back then other than pay drivers

[@mikolaygrudzien8764]

@@GameOver-nm2us F1 does attract the super wealthy, no doubt about it. You might be missing my point about todays stage managed corporate dominated business approach. Back in the day if a driver or team won more than one WDC or WCC it was because of huge talent and a good dose of luck given the dangers, now with all the safety measures and additional rules it is much more predictable for the money people.

[@_Tp___]

Carlos Sainz had a very close call in the same place. The safety car crashed in a similar place. Magnussen crashed. Gasly spun. I don't really think of him that badly after the crash considering how the new surface appears to be without being rubbered in properly.

[@abigailmcdowell4248]

Well the safety car crashed due to some kind of brake failure, rather than a driver making a mistake or pushing too far

[@gustavoe1898]

The question is Why did not give Antonelli to Williams for this second half and give the kid a proper experience training for the upcoming season.

[@williamford9564]

Because Williams was not going to poison its own driver development program by bringing in a driver with no experience. It would send the wrong sign and future prospects for their program would surely take notice.

[@ashantedula5696]

​@williamford9564 you act like drivers have leverage over the team. It's only 20 seats. The teams hold all the cards. Bad signal or not a rookie will always take a f1 seat vs sitting at home. And if they have concerns just open up.the piggy bank like they did with sainz

[@williamford9564]

@@ashantedula5696 What the fuck are you talking about? JAMES VOWLES SAID that was why they put their development driver in the seat instead of going outside.

[@tHebUm18]

If only the video literally covered this.

[@rondrajaeev2957]

​@@williamford9564they put a rookie in place of sargent anyways. Why not antonelli

[@paullavallee1631]

Wise decision since George has the experience and there is room for a rookie, only a 1 year deal and if it doesn't work out there is the option to switch out Kimi

[@BabyIshii]

But if he fails he will lose chance to return on f1 grid

[@kenzabel5394]

why switch when he's still young and has so much to learn?

[@Karincl7]

​@@kenzabel5394new fans don t have the time to wait

[@apoxesportsteam]

@@Karincl7 more like Toto Wolff wants to be on the winning side as soon as possible as it's partially his own team.

[@kenzabel5394]

@@Karincl7 😂 it's not the decision of fans, it's about team principals and stake holders, fans only watch what happens, they don't have a say of who should stay or leave, by the way new fans only watch the sport because of dts and they're only ruining the sport

[@506thLittleberry]

I think it's hilarious that Russell was supposed to be the future of Mercedes making Hamilton obsolete, but right when the car is starting to get competitive again he is already old news and the new future of Mercedes is in and they're looking to sign Verstappen too.

[@Juventinos]

very true.

[@valerierodger]

Haven’t been particularly fond of George since Sakhir went to his head and he got arrogant, but I do feel a little bit sorry for him in this. Mercedes stuck him in Williams, keeping Bottas on a year to year contract because they didn’t figure George was ready. When he did get to Mercedes, he was still in Hamilton‘s shadow, only really taking on a team leader role this year because Hamilton is cut out of many discussions due to leaving the team. So it looks like George will finally have his time to really shine… and then along comes this kid who isn’t just pushed up through the junior formulas, he’s going directly to Mercedes rather than getting stuck in a back marker team for years. And then just to rub salt in the wound he crashes George’s car just before his signing is announced.

[@GameOver-nm2us]

@@valerierodger and even then this season he's being beaten by Hamilton (Mostly due to bad luck). Man can't catch a break, kinda feel bad.

[@audrob2163]

A while ago, The Race and Aldas did a podcast talking about drivers who would be future F1 champions. The Race said to keep an eye on Antonelli and they where right. (The podcast was before Antonelli raced in f2 I belive)

[@BPBomber]

This channel needs to hire Aldas. He is a much better F1 reporter than any of the blowhards on this channel.

[@jiboo6850]

people have to remember that Verstappen was a big crasher at the beginning. i remember what elder racers were saying about it. "the sooner he finds the limits, the better it will be for him for the future". so crashing at the beginning isn't a big deal to me. THEY HAVE TO. in order to find the sweet spot for tyres and different compounds. this is a totally normal process to me. if he keeps doing it on a regular basis in the following year, then we'll be able to judge him properly. let him get the feel of this beast of a car. kid is rather small and skinny. he has to get more muscles too. just let the kid learn.

[@sameersheriff7078]

Perhaps thats what merc has become from winning titles to tutoring kids how to drive f1 cars !!! no wonder why lewis leaving and no one's ready to join em starting from sainz !!!!

[@jiboo6850]

@@sameersheriff7078 you clearly didn't read and don't understand the situation. car is getting good. kid is learning, his test sessions were great. stop being mad at nothing. get a grip. 😮‍💨

[@sameersheriff7078]

@@jiboo6850 So f1 is kids play these day lol his test sessions are whatever i never said he's good or bad but simply pointed out merc are making desperate decisions that's it

[@massimodegrazia2192]

​@@sameersheriff7078 Why do you keep lying? Plenty of drivers wanted to drive for mercedes since Hamilton announced his departure to Ferrari (like Alonso and your beloved Sainz) but mercedes preferred to beat around the bush until they decided to give Antonelli a shot. There is nothing wrong with tutoring a junior, especially if said junior is expected to be a generational talent.

[@KaptainChaos999]

the funny part is Toto sits on his high horse bragging bout mick deserving a seat all the while he had a seat available then decides to put a kid in the seat over mick who has experience 🤣🤣😂😂

[@Epicacactus]

Experience causing 8-figures in damages in a single season? Check

[@CosmicSeeker69]

Toto was veeeeeery clever with Mick..... very clever

[@tHebUm18]

Doesn't Toto manage Mick? Toto gets paid if anyone takes him up so of course he tries. The trouble for Mick is it's very clear he's at best a middling tier 2nd driver and no team needs that. RB has a 2nd driver + a pile of replacements better than Mick and other teams currently are mostly trying to get the best driver lineup they can in trying to catch RB or maximize points/minimize damage hurting the cost cap in the lower half of the field.

[@davidmaslenka5940]

@@Epicacactusyou mean crashtonelli ?

[@KA-om9oz]

Better setting on a high horse vs a pony. Kid learn yourself😂

[@Wildcat12]

Wolff wants his own Verstappen bad to make up for not getting the actual Verstappen before. Hopefully Antonelli is actually of that caliber, too many show up and sink and that’s a lot of expectations for an 18 year old who hasn’t even finished a season in F2 yet

[@tdyerwestfield]

At the end of the day, he's 18. You're going to get fearless aggression and immaturity. It'll take plenty more hits like that before the fearlessness recedes. But then again, he could go down the Marc Marquez route and never lose that no matter the crashes and life-changing injuries.

[@mikeoxlong5928]

I think Mercedes should have signed Sainz. George Russell was older and more experienced and Mercedes still chose to keep him at Williams for 3 years if you all recall, saying he needed more experience before being trusted with the top seat. To me, this decision is nonsensical. But we’ll all find out the truth next year!

[@apophisstr6719]

Well, this is exactly what most of us wanted, young new faces, unpredictability, and the chance of witnessing the potential making of a new legend.

[@razorsitch9882]

Listening to Hamilton and Wolff comments, and interpreting them while reading between the lines a little, Mercedes wanting Antonelli on the books effectively pushed Hamilton out at Mercedes, by not giving Hamilton the two year deal he wanted in order to leave things open for Antonelli left Hamilton feeling unwanted and pushed him to leaving the team he’s said before he wanted to retire in. Hamiltons little snide comment after Quali. About maybe Mercedes won’t get Quali. problems from Kimi next year confirmed that for me. Hamilton has had his ego bruised by these cars, then an apparent lack of faith from Mercedes for the NEXT generation of cars in 2026 was the final straw for him. Fingers crossed Ferrari can give him a car he can enjoy, but that 8th Title is long gone now.

[@valerierodger]

You seem to be forgetting that Hamilton has often said, many times, that he would like to drive for Ferrari. You’re ignoring that he has been talking to Ferrari for years, but only decided to leave Mercedes when Mercedes couldn’t figure out their car and was ignoring what their drivers were telling them. Ferrari absolutely looked like the better prospect a year ago. He wasn’t pushed to leave the team - and it was very clear that Toto was not happy to see him go - if Hamilton hadn’t signed for Ferrari, Kimi would have either spent another year in F2 or been placed with a smaller team as so often happens.

[@JScott-lg4jb]

If Russell had gone to Merc in 2021, would Bottas have gone to Red Bull instead of Checo?

[@ventisette.]

Oh for fuck’s sake, he’s even worse

[@dublion7]

@@ventisette.😂😂😂

[@thegreatafrican3367]

@@ventisette.He NEVER missed Q3 in Mercedes

[@Rampage1Rules]

​@@thegreatafrican3367that statistic is mighty ngl

[@Desert_Rogue_Tanker]

​@@thegreatafrican3367you have a good point there😅

[@Troy-McLore]

1:06, The barrier pointing out who just hit it 👀

[@williamford9564]

0:02: And before he "crashed big time" he put in a mega lap that astonished Toto and the entire paddock.

[@Italiansupercarvideo]

As an Italian, I'm thrilled to see this young guy on a top team like Mercedes. We need to give him time to learn; 2025 will be helpful for this. Undoubtedly, Toto Wolff is putting together a truly talented team that can guarantee satisfaction in the future. Russell himself has shown to be fast and consistent.

[@LtNduati]

I want to see Kimi do well, but maybe this is also why Carlos signed with Williams. If the 2025 Mercedes is a championship winning capable car, and whether it be through driver clashes that hurt Mercedes, a la Nico vs Lewis, or if Kimi just isn't what we all thought he would crack up to be (becomes a Nyck 2.0 essentially) Toto could call James and boom, driver swap, Kimi moves to williams to develop a little more, and Mercedes get a solid replacement #2, that can become the #1 driver on any given weekend when the conditions align

[@heavyharris5580]

Leclerc was only at Alfa for a year, unlike Russell. Either way, I think Wolff knows more than I do about these things

[@happycanayjian1582]

I’m kinda chuffed to see what this kid can do. He’s pint-sized, and a whole lot younger, compared to Russell. Russell could be #2 within about 3 seasons if the kid continues on his upward trajectory. 🚀📈

[@CosmicSeeker69]

'could' - 'if'

[@happycanayjian1582]

@@CosmicSeeker69 Well, yeah, that’s how opinions and suppositions kinda work… 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@jackishy1261]

He already signed before the summer break, it was just planned to announce it on Monza

[@fallenshallrise]

Good on Mercedes for this line-up. What is the point of either running 2 steady eddie drivers and missing out on talent coming out of F2 - or running 2 rookies who make mistakes and crash the cars so your mechanics are too busy rebuilding cars to work on setups and the engineers have no idea what upgrades are working. Also the wind tunnel and CFD budgets come from constructor points and all the marketing value comes from the drivers championship and race wins so for the top teams it could be a long term advantage to have a clear #1 driver who gets wins and then have the team down in 3rd or 4th in points while your rookie driver learns the ropes.

[@EverSoPossiblyPat]

Max and Lewis both made mistakes early in their car because they DID push the limits and look where it got them. I think he genuinely has a lot of potential.

[@user-nu5hc9ou1s]

Just to be clear: Antonelli is not the replacement of sir Lewis Hamilton but his successor. There is a huge difference in those two words ;) for example Sargeant is replaced.

[@BM2759]

Despite the points mentioned here it still doesn't make sense why this kid over other drivers. How does winning a few junior titles, but skipping F3 and not achieving much in F2, makes him such a "promising talent".

[@christopherknee5756]

Agreed. Whenever I am really bored, I watch a bit of F2 to see this "next best thing". I start looking at the names on the screen LHS from the top and EVERYTIME I find Ant near the bottom! I really do not know what everybody is raving about this kid. My only conclusion is that he is 1) Italian 2) Short 3) Has "Kimi" and "Andrea" in his name (Kimi Raikkonnen and Andrea de Cesaris). His name just sounds "right" especially when compared to the other goofy names of the F2 grid. Human beings love to judge a thing by its cover - and Antonelli is just that. He looks like he'll be fast. At the end of the day, these are all predictions. It is nigh impossible to predict how well he will do. Who knows, maybe there is another "Senna" just around the corner who will go so fast, he'll make it look like Antonellii is looking for parking when he zooms past!

[@valerierodger]

@@christopherknee5756 so clearly you watch a bit of F2 but don’t really understand anything about it. F2 may be a spec series, but the teams make a huge difference - better mechanics, better engineers, better coaching, being able to replace parts before wear affects performance, etc. F2 brought in new cars this year, which was part of why Mercedes decided to start him in F2 this year in the first place. Despite Prema usually being a very good team, they are one of the teams that have particularly struggled with the new cars. As with anything else, the most telling comparison is to your teammate, so take a look at who his teammate is, and his experience - Bearman spent time in F3, is in his second year of F2, has points in F1, and is being utterly thrashed by Kimi. Kimi has demonstrated what Max demonstrated, and what Lewis demonstrated before him - credible raw talent, proven speed along with the ability to step up to the next level and immediately get a feeling for the car, drive with absolute confidence, and immediately be able to wring performance out of it.

[@marioelburro1492]

Havnt been watching f1 long enough to see a rookie improve over 2 plus years apart from Piastri, but the guy is only 18. He will have plenty of time to learn and adjust to f1

[@adamb2619]

They are screwed. George cannot drive under pressure, and Kimi is not ready.

[@outlawfps3948]

George's wheel to wheel development suffered heavily thanks to his prolonged Williams stint. Mercedes want to avoid that with Kimi. His telemetry is exactly how Max's was in 2015, very ambitious, but capable of being reigned in with some practice

[@jakubsamoowka7459]

Fingers crossed for youngster💪🏎️💪 still I can't help feeling that Merc is a Partner and media patron of the material 😂😂 You have literally presented no doubts or risks to this decision. If you just have predicted next decade future, big applause. He will step into the biggest shoes to fill.

[@flashyred9125]

Albon is doing wonders with that Williams! It should tell you why Sargent's performance was considered underperformance.

[@oneshotme]

I very much enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up

[@TherealLIVING_GojoSatoru]

the bot comments are crazy

[@JustinW2980]

I am looking forward to these 2025 driver lineups.

[@fathertimegaming17]

I think that's an encouraging crash on a strange curve and not holding back. I think that's a great sign for the future.

[@charleswinter1335]

We shall see... I wish him the best of luck, at least he seems to be in a good team that is willing to give him time to develop.

[@slap_k_man1862]

signing max was the best thing for red bull did past present and future lol merc can no longer hope for a constructor championship nor low crash bill after hiring a Italian rookie lol

[@MFTBSportsChannel25]

Great content as always. We done a video on home a while ago

[@Showmetheevidence-]

Love how these "reporters" say things like "the next superstar" when he's literally unproven in F1

[@fist003]

dang, i forgot to turn down the volume before playing the video

[@magicair6021]

The starks would be proud. The barrier is even prouder 😅

[@englishrobex]

Braked 30m later! Going 30kph faster. Ffs. Russell should be flipping furious.

[@givemeabreak8784]

He also crashed in the F2 race. 😂😂😂 Toto admitted that some other teams wanted Kimi for his nationality. That team was Ferrari and they wanted him to replace Lewis when he retire. Toto will be able to sell him to scuderia when Max is available for a big box. Smart move by Toto 😂

[@sirloinestakegames7866]

He was collateral damage in Goethe and O'Sullivan's smash. Nothing he could have done to avoid it.

[@dpinsy]

Seems like he could be a great driver one day. Seems like Wolfe and Merc are huffing some copium though. This video seems to have a bunch of it too. I’m excited to see what happens. Another great driver on the grid would be fantastic.

[@damarcoreed1367]

One thing I hate about critics is the ones who’s never in their life been in that Situation let alone a F1 but have soo much criticism about a 18year old

[@aberamagold7509]

6:36 Wow, that must have been a huge thrill for him... ... Getting to watch a race with Jack Whitehall.

[@thesighbored]

Merc finally gets their Max Hopefully

[@grospipo20]

This will either be a genius move or a disaster for mercs

[@guypainter]

There is only ONE reason: They got fed up with Sainz procrastinating... thought he could get Merc and RBR into a bidding war and basically pissed on his chips by being greedy, blew the opportunity of a lifetime and now gets a NO PODIUM seat. Serves him right.

[@whassupg89]

Feel sorry for him being so over hyped by his own team. Let’s see how he goes next year. Good luck to him

[@CatsAndCode]

That would be so fuuny. Same things exactly they said about Russle

[@dolphinoegglet7263]

I wish Kimi the best but this PR spin is hilarious. If anyone else broke so late 'the car couldn't take it' and beyond their own ability to save the car it would be called 'over driving'.

[@guilhermefonseca1562]

Russel about to become Ricciardo 2.0

[@LSB001]

More like Antonelli is about to become Vandoorne 2.0.

[@mattcintron6372]

He’s getting a really lucky start. He’s not going to waste away at Willams or haas and won’t get eaten alive at RB

[@williamford9564]

7:29: VERY good point!

[@bishopoftroy]

There`s a rumour that Mercedes is already keeping a close eye on a 3 year old child that makes very realistic F1 noises. Probably will sign him for 2026.

[@deltafox1]

Remember Sainz is in Williams, which is a Mercedes Team. If Antonelli fails, he can go to Williams and Sainz can go to Mercedes

[@mrp8008]

Williams is not a mercedes team, it never was but in the past they didn't have the money to deny mercedes' offers to put drivers in. They can and will now, they have their own junior program and have had their own promotees in the the car for the past two years and their other two signings were directly driving for merc's rivals, albon was signed while they were pressured to put in mick in the car by merc and they didn't budge

[@Juventinos]

unreal.. we had a demonstration of the rick and reward. what reward?

[@urbanstrencan]

Mercedes really putting a lot of confidence behind Kimi , let's see next year

[@arikelvara]

He had a smashing debut !

[@nfpnone8248]

If you watched his performance in the F2 feature then you would know why they chose to bring him up to F1. In fact his driving style reminds me of Lauda and Senna, which for an 18 year old is extraordinary.

[@mikewallace1723]

Perhaps they are looking at 2026 season? Next year they train him. Gets his rookie year behind him. And then go for the championships? Do they see 2025 being like this year, where they can win the odd race but are not able to go for both championships?

[@yammt3148]

His name is "Kimi." That's an automatic XP bonus.

[@Yoshi-dl4qv]

I just think that they will be able to relocate about 50 Million $ in saved wages towards car development and hope it will balance out

[@IsaacSturdee]

They’re compared him going flat out to contracted drivers Friday practice times and benchmarked those times by Maxs laps… when his car was far from the fastest at monza…. Interesting decision for sure

[@willmac5642]

He's bloody fast. Probably good he had an early prang.

[@monstermarc227]

I’m cheering for the kid, but let’s not pretend like Toto didn’t do this because he’s afraid of missing out on the next great superstar. I still believe a veteran next to George for one more year made more sense till the new regulations. George is still a young driver and I’m not sure he’s proving enough to be a lead driver on Mercedes.

[@GalaxyTracker]

Meanwhile, for context, Bearman drove an impeccable race in Jeddah, a track where you are centimeters from a huge crash and fought wheel to wheel with half the grid. What's the fuss about Antonelli?

[@jakestyx5808]

Merc already thinking they have a Hamilton - Botas with Russel - Antonelli in 25 is interesting

[@halofreak1990]

If Antonelli is truly Toto's Max Verstappen, it'll be the other way around, with Russell being the Bottas to Antonelli.

[@tHebUm18]

@@halofreak1990 Nah. If Antonelli is Max caliber, George is more likely his Nico Rosberg. Only after sparks flying between them will Antonelli get a Bottas.

[@LSB001]

Russell is better than Hamilton. You're just a delusional hater. Merc have sabotaged Russell multiple times this season to let Lulu catch up in points.

[@Goblonium]

@@LSB001 Russel has the better car, and still has worse pace than Hamilton. Yes he is better in qualifying, and in Monza he got 3rd in quali, and messed up bad and went all the way to 7th. In the Belgian GP Russel was given the one-stop instead of Hamilton (prolly worked better because the car was underweight). Why would Merc sabotage their staying driver for a driver about to leave? Russel has been Merc's primary focus.

[@peterjohnson8935]

It's more interesting having a young hot shoe in the car. Quick,raw but with great potential.

[@paulão-72]

Very good from the 3rd best rookie in f2

[@statixsc3013]

You only need one. Seems talented enough and probably a % of the cost.

[@ibrahimkalmati9379]

As toto said I rather want fast driver and make him slow and control than a slow driver and make him fast. Kid is fast and with time and experience he would learn self control.

[@openbabel]

who has the best Rooky for next year Oli Bearman Jack Doolan Antonelli or Williams junior driver ?

[@richmondodudu2630]

Emphasizing the crash like it was some mistake admittedly he’s a rookie but he’s good and he’ll learn how to handle it with time. Senior drivers had issues at that same section in the same day

[@andreromero7220]

1- Cash 2- Money 4- Sponsors 5- More cash 6- More money

[@liondriven9073]

Wolf : "I'd rather slow somebody down than make him fast because the second one is impossible"... at the end of the day, the first one crashes the car, the second one scores P11

[@chrislostinspaace8745]

I find it so funny that motorsports media, just like other sports media, comments and says what a driver needs to do as if they’re a driver themselves💀giving too much opinion to blur out the fact of the story and that’s he was willing to push it to the edge, shit happens he’s not a pro driver everyone has crashed before

[@davidmaslenka5940]

Don’t know,about Kimi crashtonelli

[@hb-ze4ug]

Main reason?: They just desperately need less weight in that car 😄

[@MichaelEilers]

By the time that practice session ended, he was a full 1.6 seconds behind the leader laps. That purple out of the gate was because he was one of the first runners - do we need to explain timing to you?

[@francescodurante936]

Monza fp1 📞“hey kimi it’s sbinotto!!”…ah sorry wrong kimi 💀

[@sebulbathx]

I have always thought George Russell was Mercedes future and just assumed he had a multi year deal. But I guess Kimi Antonelli is the future for Mercedes. Which makes George being in somewhat of a limbo. I mean he has his role in Mercedes but he could as well be kicked out if the right opportunity is given to Mercedes. Or I might got it wrong, idk....

[@gouravghosh588]

Though highly unlikely, it would be quite something if Antonelli somehow managed to beat Russell over the course of the season in 2025.

[@MrSniperfox29]

This is the team who wouldn't drop Bottas for Russell That's because Williams had an iron clad contract with Russell and told Mercedes to naff off every time Mercedes tried to get him back which is why Bottas would only get his renewals after Williams announced Russell

[@charlien2489]

I thought I could hear him take an extra downshift which broke the rear loose mid-turn.

[@rossdark713]

To me, putting him in for 2025 made sense. Although Mercedes has started to improve this year, it will give him time to embed himself into the team and get himself settled in for a full on under pressure attack in 2026.

[@chiefbeef9905]

Sainz replaces Sargeant (kinda), Hamilton replaces Sainz, Antonelli replaces Hamilton. Its hard to believe Antonelli will be worse than Sargeant, this is objectively great for Formula 1, even if he takes a while to settle in.

[@Matias.1.2.3]

Imo, i dont think this is a good move for merc, yea im happy we got more rookies in F1, but for Kimi its too soon, he seems like a total midfield driver in F2, had no experience in F3 and is now expected to perform for a TOP 3 team next season and expected like top 5-7 finishes all the time with the car he has, i think that amount of pressure on Kimi is just gonna drown him down on his confidence, before you all say "Oh but he went fastest in FP1!!!" realise that Kimi was pushing as if he was in Q3 given he wont partake for the rest of the sessions, while the other just tested theyre cars around just to see what feels good and wrong. Either way I hope Kimi will atleast have somewhat of a good start in F1 and not crumble under pressure.

[@selder_7]

I think they’ve learned from how they handled Russell that having him in the Williams first isn’t actually that helpful. Russell has still had to go through a lot of learning, including not crashing. Antonelli will get to learn to be in a top car (or team at least) immediately. That will mean crashing a lot of cars, but they need to accept that and give him time. If he flops then he wasn’t going to be their next champ anyway and they can go back to chasing Verstappen or just bring up Sainz or Albon

[@halofreak1990]

The benefit of his stint at Williams, was that Russell was already used to driving a sh*tbox of a car

[@thijshagenbeek8853]

He's also alot cheaper. Meaning more budget available for other things.

[@epoz1374]

Hard to see Mercedes wins in 2025 with George and Kimi. Simply not enough experience.