Kimi Antonelli makes Lewis Hamilton data discovery ahead of Mercedes move

Mercedes might not need to tear up Lewis Hamilton’s setup choices following Kimi Antonelli’s recent discovery in the data.

With Lewis Hamilton heading to Ferrari for F1 2025, Mercedes has confirmed junior driver rookie Kimi Antonelli as his successor in the team.

Kimi Antonelli: Lewis Hamilton talks to me a lot

Speaking in an extensive interview with Sky Sport Italy at the Festival dello Sport in Trento, Antonelli spoke about the extent of the challenge facing him as he steps up into Formula 1 and takes over Hamilton’s Mercedes .

They are huge boots to fill, but one area the 18-year-old feels will work out to his advantage is the fact he’s discovered he and Hamilton drive their cars in a similar way.

“I didn’t expect that, he’s very nice and talks to me a lot,” Antonelli said.

“And looking at the data, his driving style seems similar to mine.

“I was in Singapore and listening to him talk to the engineers – I learned a lot.”

Revealing that his 2025 teammate George Russell was “not very happy” about his FP1 crash at Monza which resulted in Russell’s car needing extensive repairs, Antonelli also said he’s at the point now where he is largely remaining quiet in order to absorb as much information as he can.

“What I will have to get used to is hearing all the engineers on headphones, because I am one who talks very little,” he said.

“But if they talk it is to give useful information, I will have to learn the procedures well, if you touch a wrong button it is a mess.

“I will be getting a steering wheel seat at home soon to learn the starts and the various procedures. Also because you have to know where each button is without having to look.”

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Antonelli embarked on an extensive testing programme in 2024, driving under the provisions of the Testing of a Previous Car (TPC) programme permitted under the rules. This usually saw him behind the wheel of a 2022 Mercedes F1 car for a series of private tests, and Antonelli said it was his post-Spa test which marked him out for next year.

“In private testing the great speed with which I got to the limit,” he said, “I struggled at first with the race pace but, after a test in Spa, they saw a clear step forward and were convinced.

“And, two days later, came the call that they were taking me for 2025.

“Today in F1, you have a lot of data to look at, there is live telemetry and they can tell you what to do, however, they let me do a lot.

“I had a great test at Spa where I learned how to anticipate tyre degradation.

“I feel ready for F1, at the speed level I will have no problems, I will have to adapt to the procedures.”

As the only Italian on the grid in F1 2025, Antonelli will be in the unusual position of racing against Ferrari and vying for the affections of the Italian public against the established winners Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at the Scuderia.

But, despite being a fan of Ferrari growing up, Antonelli said his mind is fully focused on bringing glory to Mercedes.

“I used to be a fan of the Rossa, but now I clearly think of Mercedes,” he said.

“I was a fan of the Cavallino as a kid, though, and I really liked Sebastian Vettel. I should still have a mug of his at home.”

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