Kimi Antonelli has been warned that he will be unable to use the 'rookie excuse' previous drivers have when he makes his F1 debut this year.
Antonelli has been promoted by Mercedes to fill the seat vacated by Lewis Hamilton, and will be the first driver since Karl Kling in 1954 to drive for the team having never previously started a grand prix when he debuts in Australia in March.
The Italian protege is one of six drivers starting their first full-time season, but owing to the fact he is Hamilton's replacement, more expectation has been pressed onto the 18-year-old than the other five rookies.
Looking ahead to the new season, Sky F1 pundit Karun Chandhok believes Antonelli will have "nowhere to hide" and the rookie "excuse" will not be tolerated, in part due to the success of Max Verstappen in his own 2015 campaign.
"I think whether you’re driving for the team who’s finished 10th in the championship or the team at the front of the grid, as a rookie in F1, there’s nowhere to hide," Chandhok explained on the Sky F1 podcast.
"For Kimi Antonelli, the fact that he’s coming in as a rookie, but with a top team, means you’re expected to deliver – as Lewis was when he arrived at McLaren and got nine podiums straight off the bat, as Oscar Piastri has shown in the last two years.
“You know, the expectations on rookies is high.
"You can’t just be there saying: ‘Oh, I’m here to learn’, anymore. That excuse has gone with the likes of Verstappen, [Charles] Leclerc, [George] Russell and Lewis before that – these rookies have just raised the bar of expectation."
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding, as they look into the six full-time F1 rookies featuring on this year's grid. Who will do the best is discussed, as is who could face an early exit.
Rather watch the podcast? Then click here!
Most read
In this article
Join the conversation!