Hamilton Guides Antonelli: A Similar Driving Style

Andrea Kimi Antonelli praises Lewis Hamilton’s kindness and support, highlighting their shared driving style and insights gained from the champion.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli revealed that his driving style closely resembles Lewis Hamilton’s, particularly in how he prefers his car to be set up. The future Mercedes F1 driver shared how he is already working with the seven-time world champion in preparation for eventually taking his place.

“He is very kind and talks to me a lot. In terms of style, it is similar to mine, with a very understeering car. I was in Singapore and learned a lot by listening to him speak with the engineers. What I will need to get used to is hearing all the engineers on the headset, as I’m someone who doesn’t talk much,” noted Antonelli.

“But if they speak, it’s to provide useful information. I need to learn the procedures thoroughly. If you press the wrong button, it’s chaos. A seat with a steering wheel will soon arrive at my home to practice starts and the various procedures. It’s important to know where every button is without looking.”

Antonelli will reach Formula 1 at just 18 years old but is trying not to dwell on that for now: “I haven’t realized it yet; maybe I will in Melbourne. It will be very exciting, but for now, I’m only focusing on working on myself.”

“How? By trying not to think about anything other than what needs to be done. You focus on the start and visualize different scenarios. There will be butterflies in the stomach, but I’m trying to concentrate on what needs to be done.”

The Italian also revealed that Ayrton Senna is his idol, though he had another favorite driver earlier in life: “I’ve done a lot of research on him. I understood that he wasn’t just a great driver but also a great person. I like to think that I resemble him in that I would learn a lot. As a child, I supported Sebastian Vettel.”