Mercedes F1 2025 driver search takes fresh twist after big Kimi Antonelli admission

Kimi Antonelli with Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.

Kimi Antonelli – a leading contender to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for F1 2025 – has expressed doubt over whether he is ready to take that step in an honest assessment. 

With Hamilton set to become a Ferrari driver as of next season, Mercedes are searching for a successor to the seven-time World Champion who will join George Russell in their F1 2025 line-up.

Kimi Antonelli not sure he is ready for Mercedes seat

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has publicly spoken about their Junior Team prodigy Antonelli as a leading contender, the 17-year-old sent straight to Formula 2 – the final rung on the junior ladder before F1 – off the back of his latest title triumph in the Formula Regional European Championship.

After a slower start to F2 life than many expected, Antonelli is beginning to find form, having produced a masterclass in the wet Silverstone sprint race, that his first win, before putting the alternate strategy to perfect use to win the Hungary feature race.

He had led the early stages of the Hungary sprint, before the decision to start on soft tyres backfired as they rapidly fell away.

But, despite this performance breakthrough, Antonelli himself expressed doubt over whether he is ready to take on that Mercedes F1 challenge next season.

“I mean… I don’t know if I will be ready, to be honest,” Antonelli admitted.

“I’m still learning a lot in F2. Definitely I still do quite a few mistakes. A few details that really matter, I’m still not doing that right.”

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Antonelli admitted that the pressure was really starting to get to him as the Mercedes F1 promotion talk continued, his Silverstone sprint win going a long way to relieve said pressure as he finally took to the top step of the F2 podium.

“Definitely from Silverstone I feel way lighter,” said the Italian, “quite a bit less pressure on my shoulders.

“The pressure was building up, weekend by weekend, obviously with all the talking.

“Silverstone was a big relief for me, and this weekend I was driving like my mind was way more free than the previous weekend. I was driving way more natural, without really thinking about the outcome. Just focusing on myself.

“And I think it really showed. Even this win, a feature race in the dry, is a big relief and a big result for all of us.”

Despite Antonelli’s uncertainty, Sky F1 pundit Martin Brundle believes Mercedes should still promote Antonelli to their F1 2025 line-up.

“As I’ve got George Russell, who can lead the team, I would bring Antonelli along,” said Brundle, “and just put up with the mistakes he’ll make in the beginning.”

Antonelli sits P6 in the F2 Championship standings with five rounds of the season remaining.

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