Former F1 driver Karun Chandhok has warned Andrea Kimi Antonelli that despite Mercedes’ likely absence from the title fight in 2025, the young Italian prodigy will be closely scrutinized when he makes his Formula 1 debut.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, presented as the “next Max Verstappen” by Toto Wolff, will enter the premier category in place of Lewis Hamilton, seven-time world champion. The latter left Mercedes to join Scuderia Ferrari in 2025. A place of choice for the young driver, but the pressure will also be strong on his shoulders, because he will have to meet the expectations of a team accustomed to excellence.
Although Mercedes may decide to focus its efforts on the 2026 season, the year of a new regulatory era, this strategy may not completely ease the pressure on Antonelli. The challenge remains immense for the driver who comes from F2, who will have to evolve under the spotlights in a leading team, succeeding one of the biggest names in F1 history.
If this context offers the Italian an opportunity for long-term development, Karun Chandhok insists on the fact that Antonelli will have to quickly prove that he deserves his place in a discipline where places are expensive and can quickly return to stronger than YOU.
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In fact, Karun Chandhok believes he will have to perform immediately, regardless of how competitive Mercedes is.
“Whether you drive for the team that finished 10th in the championship or the team that is at the front of the grid, I think there is a difference between the two. As a F1 Newbie, There’s Nowhere to Hide”, Chandhok said on the Sky F1 podcast.
According to the former F1 driver, the young Italian driver will inevitably be compared to Lewis Hamilton and his fantastic debut in F1 at McLaren, but also to Oscar Piastri who also shines at McLaren.
“For Kimi Antonelli, the fact that he arrives as a debutant, but in a top team means that he is expected to rise to the occasion, as Lewis was when he arrived at McLaren and won nine podiums from the start. Oscar Piastri has also demonstrated this over the last two years.”
“Expectations for newbies are high. You can’t just say ‘I’m here to learn’. This excuse no longer exists with drivers like Verstappen, Leclerc, Russell, Lewis before them. These recruits simply raised the bar of expectations”, concluded the former F1 driver.
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