The 17-year-old Formula 2 starlet Andrea Kimi Antonelli is adored by Toto Wolff, and Lewis Hamilton supported the Italian teenager as his preferred successor at Mercedes.
George Russell expressed his support for Mercedes’ strategy of “building into the future” by partnering with young driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
The 17-year-old has become a strong contender for the Mercedes driver’s seat, which Lewis Hamilton will be leaving empty at the end of this campaign. This is true even though Antonelli missed all of Formula 3 and is currently in his rookie season at the Formula 2 level.
However, the Italian’s performance in other junior racing divisions is impressive. Toto Wolff, the team principal, is a big fan of Hamilton’s, and the teenager was publicly endorsed by Hamilton last week as the driver he wants to see take his place when he departs for Ferrari.
When asked how he felt about the situation, Russell stated unequivocally that he didn’t care who he was paired with after Hamilton leaves. However, he applauded the notion of elevating Antonelli, who is a part of the Mercedes junior driver program, just like he once was.
“I think Kimi is a fantastic driver,” Russell stated. He is competing in Formula 2 this year, of course, but his ultimate goal is to drive in Formula One. He’s a junior driver that came up with the team in the same way that I did.
“I think it’s a fantastic chance for Mercedes to grow going forward, but like I’ve always said, I welcome anyone to be a teammate. As it stands, I think I have a pretty good teammate. I’m open to everyone.”
Mercedes will take its time choosing Hamilton’s replacement for the upcoming season. In addition to Antonelli, a number of people have been connected to the position; Carlos Sainz, who will depart Ferrari at the end of this season to make room for the seven-time Formula One champion, is one of them.
It is acknowledged, however, that Sainz is not the front-runner for the position. Additionally, Hamilton made it plain that he wants Antonelli—who turns 18 in August—to have the opportunity to excel alongside Russell when he spoke with reporters at the Imola racetrack last week, including Mirror Sport.
“I think Carlos is an excellent driver, so any team that he joins would benefit,” he remarked. To be honest, I don’t know what Toto has planned, but I think it would be wise to take on a young person. If it were my position, I would definitely take on Kimi.”
A different strategy would be for Mercedes to sign a short-term option for one or two seasons while Antonelli receives experience at another team on loan. Williams is considering their options to replace the underperforming Logan Sargeant and is keen on such an arrangement.
Leave a Reply