P1racenews AI automatic summary:
This weekend’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix marks the start of a brand-new era for Mercedes, following the exit of Lewis Hamilton.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff expressed concern about Kimi Antonelli making his competitive F1 debut at the Australian Grand Prix this weekend, calling it being “thrown into the F1 circus.” Antonelli, at 18, will be the third-youngest driver in F1 history, following Lance Stroll and Max Verstappen, as Mercedes ushers in a new era. Despite Antonelli’s extensive training and F1 experience, including over 11,000 kilometers in F1 machinery, Wolff is careful to manage expectations for the young driver’s debut. The Mercedes team, facing pressure to perform well in a closely contested season, acknowledges McLaren’s potential race pace advantage based on the tests in Bahrain. Wolff emphasized the need to protect Antonelli from the challenges of F1 at a young age and aims to set realistic expectations for his debut in the demanding sport.
