P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Andrea Kimi Antonelli has expressed that his competitive instincts will have him gunning for the win on his F1 debut in 2025, despite admitting that he must be “realistic”.
Antonelli is gearing up for his rookie season in Formula 1, stepping into the shoes of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who has moved to Ferrari. Mercedes has conducted thorough testing with Antonelli, accumulating close to 9000 kilometers in F1 machinery to assess his readiness for the upcoming season. Despite expectations of occasional mishaps like his crash at Monza in 2025, Mercedes is focused on preparing Antonelli for the new regulations in 2026. Antonelli acknowledges the steep learning curve ahead but denies feeling the additional pressure of replacing an all-time great like Hamilton. He aims to focus on the day-to-day preparation with the team and race engineer Peter Bonnington, looking forward to making his debut at the Australian Grand Prix. Meanwhile, Antonelli’s teammate George Russell, who has outperformed Hamilton in qualifying several times in the past season, is poised to set a strong benchmark for the rookie driver as the two push each other towards success on the track.
