Jun 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Third place Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli (12) reacts after receiving his trophy at the F1 Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

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Lewis Hamilton Gives His Review on Kimi Antonelli, His Replacement at Mercedes F1!

What does Lewis Hamilton think about his replacement at Mercedes!

Lewis Hamilton left Mercedes F1 after the end of the 2024 season. After an immensely successful stint at the Brackley outfit which involved winning six driver titles, Hamilton parted ways with the team. Kimi Antonelli is Lewis Hamilton’s replacement in the team. The young Italian joined the team after graduating Formula 2 in 2024. Kimi Antonelli has been an impressive rookie ever since the first race of the season.

Kimi Antonelli has been effectively working as a good replacement to Lewis Hamilton in the team. He is already the third youngest podium finisher in Formula 1 and youngest pole position winner in the sport. Antonelli has been taking the fight to George Russell throughout the 2025 season. He is among the best rookies of the current season. Antonelli is leading the competition for the Rookie of the Year title. Lewis Hamilton had a casual review about his replacement at Mercedes ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton Insists Kimi Antonelli “Been Doing Fantastically“ at Mercedes

Kimi Antonelli is facing a drop in form recently. Although, it can also be attributed to the unpredictability of the Mercedes car. George Russell was highly critical of the car’s performance during the Belgium Grand Prix. Antonelli only recently claimed his first Formula 1 podium.

Even though the 19-year-old Italian does not have a contract for 2026 yet, he is expected to stay at Mercedes for the upcoming seasons. When there were rumors about Max Verstappen joining Mercedes, Antonelli was his expected partner. Antonelli’s rookie status does not stop him from being a special member of the team. He is already being compared to George Russell.

Goat-level mentorship 🐐🤝 pic.twitter.com/CxEveWcSn2
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) July 28, 2025

Lewis Hamilton had a lot of praise for his replacement at Mercedes, talking about Antonelli, the Briton says-

“To be thrown in at the deep end at 18. He didn’t even have his driving licence when he first started racing in F1. It’s a lot on someone’s shoulders. I think he’s doing a great job.”

“He has got a great group of people around him. You just have to take it in your stride, which I think he is, and he’s got Bono beside him, so he couldn’t have anyone better.”

Former Mercedes driver and world champion, Nico Rosberg is urging the team to provide Antonelli with a new contract already. Rosberg went as far as calling Antonelli a generational talent. The Italian has a lot of ground to cover in the upcoming races of the season. Kimi Antonelli also has his second home race coming up in the next month.

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Formula 1 2025 Season

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I work as a Writer at The Playoffs specialising in NHL, Formula 1 and Motorsports. I got into online journalism a couple of years ago. I used to be an intern for a website managing their Formula 1 content and then I served an entire year as a contractual writer.