Antonelli reveals vital Mercedes factor that soothed self-doubt

Andrea Kimi Antonelli has revealed how continuous Mercedes testing has convinced him he is ready for F1, despite casting doubt on his promotion chances in July.

Antonelli was finally confirmed as Lewis Hamilton's replacement for 2025 during the Italian GP weekend, but it came weeks after he questioned whether he would be ready as an 18-year-old rookie. 

"I don't know if I will be ready, to be honest," he said after winning the Hungarian F2 feature race.

"I'm still learning a lot in F2, and definitely, I still make quite a few mistakes, [and there are] a few details that really matter, and I'm still not doing them right. I'm still not doing everything right."

The day before his 2025 announcement, Antonelli crashed George Russell's W15 at Monza, leaving it looking like a "Lego box" according to Toto Wolff.

But the Italian driver believes he has seen "major improvements" in his craft thanks to the extensive testing programme Mercedes has provided.

"Between that period of time and now, I've been doing some TPC testing, and I've seen major improvements," said Antonelli, when asked by RacingNews365 what had changed between his voicing doubts about promotion to being promoted.

"I've been feeling much better in the car, and one of my weakest points was the long runs, but in the TPC [running], I've been improving that a lot. 

"It is also because I was feeling much better with the car and all the procedures that made me change my mind, but of course, I still have a lot to learn. 

"Learning how to deal with a full race weekend, and [crashing in FP1 at Monza] was the proof, I am still learning and managing all the procedures not only on the steering wheel but also on starts. 

"But every time I get in the car, I feel much better."

Antonelli for 2025

Reflecting on his first weekend as an F1 driver, Antonelli insisted that he was fully focused on preparing for 2025, with another FP1 session to come in Lewis Hamilton's car later in the season in Mexico.

"To feel the power, the braking, and to walk into the garage to see so many people around the car was a great feeling but something I was not used to," he said.

"And then with the rumours of stepping up to F1, it didn't seem to be real, but I fully trust Mercedes, they trust me and there is a reason behind their decision.

"My job now is to step up, learn as much as possible and be ready for 2025."