Lewis Hamilton left Mercedes after 12 largely successful years to join Ferrari, yet the Briton remains important in Brackley thanks to his bond with Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
The Silver Arrows lost the most successful F1 driver of all time when Hamilton agreed to join Ferrari in the 2025 season. So, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff replaced the 40-year-old with one of the youngest F1 drivers ever by promoting their 18-year-old wonderkid, Antonelli.
Neither Ferrari nor Mercedes have relished their recruits’ results in every round of the 2025 F1 season thus far. Hamilton has hit the summer break just sixth in the F1 drivers’ standings on 109 points, with the seven-time champion above Antonelli in seventh place on 64 points.
Hamilton’s P12 finish in the Hungarian Grand Prix last time out also marked the first time he failed to earn a point in a race that the Briton was classified as finishing for Ferrari. Antonelli finished the Hungarian GP in P10 for his second points-paying finish in the past eight rounds.
Photo by Joe Portlock/Getty ImagesToto Wolff thinks Lewis Hamilton ‘recognises’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli as a ‘champion’
Antonelli lost his confidence with Mercedes’ car during his torrid spell, as well, as the Italian struggled for stability after the Silver Arrows revived their rear suspension update in Canada. It helped Antonelli take his debut F1 podium in Canada, but was ruinous at every other race.
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Position Drivers’ Championship PointsPts 1 284 2 275 3 187 4 172 5 151 6 109 7 64
The Bologna boy especially struggled at Spa, with P17 in the F1 Sprint and P16 in the Belgian GP, on what became the final outing of Mercedes’ rear suspension upgrade. Hamilton came to Antonelli’s defence at Spa, as well as moving to give his successor his support and advice.
Wolff is clear that Hamilton did not surprise him by the Ferrari driver putting his arm around Antonelli’s shoulder at Spa. The Mercedes chief feels the pair have built a close relationship as Hamilton ‘recognises’ that Antonelli is a ‘champion’, and knows what he is going through.
“No,” Wolff told Gazzetta dello Sport. “I think champions recognise other champions. And Lewis remains very important to us. He was a pillar of our team and will always be part of the Mercedes family, even though he now drives for Ferrari.
“My friendship with Lewis has remained unchanged. We talk often, and I think he understands the challenges Kimi faces.”
Mercedes are still ‘learning’ how to give Kimi Antonelli the best ‘environment’ to succeed
Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images
Antonelli replacing Hamilton at Mercedes marked a big change for Wolff’s squad, who called on the latter between 2013 and 2024 to partner with Nico Rosberg (2013-16), Valtteri Bottas (2017-21) and George Russell (2022-present). Hamilton even won six drivers’ titles for them.
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POSDRIVERAGE AT DEBUTTEAMRACE10Esteban Tuero19 years, 10 months, 14 daysMinardi1998 Australian Grand Prix9Fernando Alonso19 years, 7 months, 3 daysMinardi2001 Australian Grand Prix8Ricardo Rodriguez19 years, 6 months, 27 daysFerrari1961 Italian Grand Prix7Mike Thackwell19 years, 5 months, 29 daysTyrrell1980 Canadian Grand Prix6Lando Norris19 years, 4 months, 4 daysMcLaren2019 Australian Grand Prix5Jaime Alguersuari19 years, 4 months, 3 daysToro Rosso2009 Hungarian Grand Prix4Oliver Bearman18 years, 10 months, 1 dayFerrari2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix3Andrea Kimi Antonelli18 years, six months, 19 days oldMercedes2025 Australian Grand Prix2Lance Stroll18 years, 4 months, 25 daysWilliams2017 Australian Grand Prix1Max Verstappen17 years, 5 months, 13 daysToro Rosso2015 Australian Grand PrixYoungest F1 drivers to start a Grand Prix
So, as Antonelli became the third-youngest driver to ever start an F1 Grand Prix on his debut in Australia, Wolff admits that Mercedes are also still ‘learning’ how they can give the Italian everything he needs to realise the potential that saw the Italian replace Hamilton this term.
Wolff added: “I think it’s a learning experience for all of us. We’ve never had such a young guy in the team, and F1 in general has never had an 18-year-old in a top team.
“We’re trying to work together, including with his family, to create an environment that allows Kimi to give his best on the track.”
Hamilton believes Antonelli has a ‘great environment’ at Mercedes, and he also noted at the Hungarian GP that the Briton was not ready for F1 aged 18 like the Italian is. At 18, Hamilton won his first title racing in single-seaters in the 2003 Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship.
Antonelli entered Formula 1 after he won the ADAC and Italian Formula 4 titles in 2022, plus the Formula Regional European and Middle East Championships in 2023. Mercedes also put the Bologna boy straight into Formula 2 in 2024 and then in F1 to replace Hamilton in 2025.