Kimi Antonelli says he ‘doesn’t handle F1 rumors pressure very well’

Young Italian driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli has addressed the pressure he’s been under amid rumors of him potentially replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for the 2025 Formula 1 season.

Antonelli, a member of Mercedes’ junior driver development program since 2018, made his debut in Formula 2 this year, bypassing Formula 3. Although his debut season has been challenging, he recently secured his first victory at Silverstone in a sprint race under difficult conditions, showcasing his talent and resilience.

🏆 K1MI 🏆

One week on from our junior driver’s first ever @Formula2 victory at Silverstone 👏 pic.twitter.com/2fOiwwdrWb

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Since the announcement of Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes at the beginning of February, speculation has swirled about who will fill the seven-time champion’s seat. Antonelli’s victory at Silverstone, where he dominated the competition, has further fueled these rumors and impressed Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.

Antonelli admitted that dealing with the pressure has been difficult for him. “I don’t always handle pressure well, and this season I’ve had a lot of pressure, to be honest,” he said. “But I would say I managed it well during the sprint at Silverstone. I still have a lot to improve because I made several mistakes. I also had an error in my qualifying lap and lost quite a bit of time. So, definitely, at times I am not performing as I should. But I try to ignore the pressure each time, and I think I managed to do that in the sprint. This is a big relief for me because a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.”