Lewis Hamilton has called for people to temper their expectations of "super-talented" Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
It is anticipated the Mercedes junior will be announced as the seven-time drivers' champion's replacement over the weekend at Monza, but Hamilton feels it would be "good for people to remember" how young he is.
The F2 driver turned 18 years old on the Sunday of the Dutch Grand Prix, and was put in the W15 at the earliest possible opportunity, replacing George Russell for FP1 at his home race, the Italian Grand Prix.
Ahead of any track running over the weekend, Hamilton was also keen to stress the "bright future" that awaits Antonelli.
"He's one of those young, super-talented kids that's come through," the 39-year-old told media including RacingNews365.
"He's a young adult now, but he's only 18 [years of age], so I think it would be good for people to remember he is just turning 18.
"He's got a bright future ahead of him, and I'm really excited to see and watch his progress.”
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Antonelli's crash
Unfortunately for Antonelli, his session lasted just 10 minutes when his heavy crash at the last corner brought out the red flag.
Having set the quickest time in the early running, the Italian lost control of the back end as he headed through Curva Alborteto (formerly Parabolica), spinning across the gravel trap and into the wall.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff revealed the force of the impact was 45g.
The good news for Antonelli, is that the lap he was on was, up to that point, good enough to put him clear of Hamilton atop the standings in FP1 by some four-tenths of a second, underlining how quickly he was on the required pace.
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