Breaking into Formula 1 at 18 is pressure enough, but doing it in a Mercedes seat makes the spotlight even hotter. Andrea Kimi Antonelli has shown from his very first laps that he belongs on the grid, and now he’s on the verge of rewriting the history books.

The rise of Mercedes’ teen sensation

Lewis Hamilton’s legendary rookie campaign in 2007 set a benchmark that few thought could be touched. He scored 109 points under an old scoring system that made each result harder to come by. Antonelli, just 14 races into his debut season, already sits at 64 points with 10 races left. At his current pace, he could equal Hamilton’s mark by the final rounds, and that doesn’t even include potential sprint bonuses or fastest laps.

Flashy starts, rookie mistakes, and a podium breakthrough

Antonelli wasted no time making headlines. Fourth place in a chaotic, rain-soaked Melbourne showed his maturity, while gutsy drives in China and Suzuka proved he could fight near the front. He even stole a sprint pole in Miami, catching the paddock off guard.

Of course, the rookie road has not been flawless. A crash in Monaco, missteps in Austria and Silverstone, and technical issues in Spain reminded everyone that he’s still learning. But the podium finish in Canada confirmed what Mercedes and fans suspected: the kid is for real.

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Chasing Hamilton’s shadow

Hamilton and Verstappen are the modern examples of teenagers who entered Formula 1 and thrived almost immediately. Antonelli is now threatening to join that conversation. Matching or beating Hamilton’s 18-year-old record would not only be symbolic, it would cement Antonelli as the brightest young star to hit F1 in a decade.

The question is no longer whether Antonelli can score points. It’s whether he can turn this promising rookie campaign into one of the most impressive debuts the sport has ever seen.

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