Mercedes Rising Star Antonelli Eyes Success on His Terms

Antonelli: “I’m Not Hamilton’s Heir, Just a Mercedes Driver”

Andrea Kimi Antonelli insists he is not Lewis Hamilton’s successor but simply a Mercedes F1 driver aiming to prove himself at the highest level.

Antonelli does not want to be seen as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement but simply as a Mercedes F1 driver. The 18-year-old Italian only wants to do his best for his employer.

“I feel like a Mercedes F1 driver,” Antonelli told BBC Sport. “But it’s a great opportunity. I’m really grateful for the trust and the opportunity Mercedes has given me.”

“But at the same time, it’s a big responsibility because I’m racing for Mercedes, a top team, so of course, they have expectations. I’m just going to try to make the most of this situation.”

The rookie driver prioritizes avoiding mistakes: “I really want to start with a good pace, build from there, and be consistent. What I don’t want to do is make a big mistake. Because when you make a big mistake, you take a few steps back, and it takes some time to recover.”

“I want to have a good race this year, maintain a strong pace, and be consistent. But the mindset will remain the same—go on track and try to win, be as fast as possible, and achieve the best result I can.”

Asked about his rapid rise in single-seaters, Antonelli admits he didn’t expect such a fast progression: “If you had asked me four years ago, I would have said, ‘That’s crazy, it won’t happen.'”

“Maybe a bit later. When you think about it, not even four years ago, three and a half years ago, I was still in karting. Of course, F1 has always been my biggest dream, but I never imagined getting here this quickly.”

Andrea Kimi Antonelli explained the origin of his middle name, which has Finnish roots and brings to mind Kimi Räikkönen, the 2007 Formula 1 world champion.

“Originally, my parents wanted to give me a middle name that would go well with my first and last name, but they didn’t want another Italian name. They wanted something different.”

“A very good friend of ours, Enrico Bertaggia, who has a background in motorsport, decided to call me Kimi. My parents said, ‘Yes, that sounds good.’ And that’s how I was named.”

While he goes by Andrea in his close circle, he understands why ‘Kimi’ is used in motorsport: “It feels more natural. It’s nice and short. Especially in the racing world, it’s such an iconic name. My best friends, my close friends, they all call me Andrea. My family does too.”

Even though he will share the grid with multiple world champions like Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and Fernando Alonso, Antonelli is a fan of Ayrton Senna, with whom he has sometimes been compared in appearance.

“Yes, people have told me that. I don’t really like being compared because I think everyone has their own personality, but he’s my idol, he’s my reference, so it would be cool to achieve even a small part of what he did in his career.”