No one on the grid may have felt the pressure leading into Formula 1’s summer break more than Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
He started the year strongly with a fourth-place finish at the Australian Grand Prix and has since given glimpses of why Toto Wolff was so confident in giving him Lewis Hamilton’s old seat.
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Since Mercedes returned to F1 in 2010, only three drivers have been on that side of the garage: Michael Schumacher, Hamilton and Antonelli.
Hamilton offered some encouragement to Antonelli during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend after he was knocked out in Q1 for both races at Spa.
Bleekemolen believes Antonelli should have started his career at Williams
Wolff tried to ease expectations before the season began, but it’s not easy telling a young driver not to push too hard right away. There have already been moments this year when he’s gone over that line.
Pundit Jeroen Bleekemolen has been speaking about the 18-year-old’s first half of his debut season with Mercedes.
The Dutchman feels it would have helped if Wolff had placed Antonelli at Williams this year, giving him a chance to learn without all eyes on him from day one. While such decisions are easier said than done, there were earlier reports suggesting that there were plans for Antonelli to join Logan Sargeant at Williams for 2025 before things changed late in 2024. Speaking via , Bleekemolen said:
“He is still very young and has also skipped Formula 2. That doesn’t make it any easier, especially with all the pressure surrounding it.”
Kimi Antonelli’s debut season: should Mercedes have placed him at Williams?
Bleekemolen shared his thoughts on the Paddockpraat Podcast, suggesting that a move to Williams might have benefited Antonelli more than stepping straight into a top team like Mercedes. He said:
“It’s always difficult to make your debut with a top team, and it’s always nice to have some time to get started and learn how Formula 1 works, what to expect, and what the pressure entails.
“Of course, the pressure is less at a smaller team, but there’s always pressure. So for me he actually needed another year but he was so hyped up, he was portrayed as the new Max Verstappen.”
“And he just had to get into a top car right away. But even Max Verstappen wasn’t put in a top car right away. And he was also young. He’s obviously very young too.”
Kimi Antonelli’s situation at Mercedes: why a loan move to Williams was never an option
There were a number of obstacles that would have made sending Kimi Antonelli to Williams difficult, even if it had been on the table.
Williams had already tied down Alex Albon to a long-term contract, and while the second seat wasn’t settled immediately, Carlos Sainz was always their top choice. That left little room for Antonelli in their plans.
While neither Logan Sargeant nor Franco Colapinto ever looked like long-term answers, Antonelli wouldn’t have fit that mould either. That didn’t align with Vowles’ vision for how he wanted to build his team.
Wolff has previously said that one of his bigger regrets was leaving George Russell on loan at Williams for three full seasons. While he didn’t mind the initial move, keeping him there so long wasn’t part of the original plan.
Antonelli is under plenty of pressure already. With Mercedes targeting big things in 2026, he has just ten more race weekends to show he’s ready to be part of those plans.
If not, don’t be surprised if talk about Max Verstappen joining Mercedes starts up again – something Antonelli won’t want hanging over him as he tries to settle into the sport.
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