Damon Hill makes worrying ‘hype’ comment about Kimi Antonelli after Belgian Grand Prix nightmare

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Andrea Kimi Antonelli is beginning to understand how much pressure comes with being a Formula 1 driver.

Mercedes decided that Kimi Antonelli was the right man to replace seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton after he chose to join Ferrari for the final chapter of his F1 career.

Hamilton is having his own struggles at Ferrari, but it could be argued that no driver is having a tougher time at the Belgian Grand Prix than Antonelli.

The 18-year-old set the slowest time in Sprint qualifying after a spin on his first flying lap, which then compromised teammate George Russell’s efforts as he said his car was damaged by the gravel brought onto the track by Antonelli.

The Italian could only finish the Sprint Race in 17th, and only beat both Aston Martin drivers in qualifying for Sunday’s race.

Fans were left concerned by Antonelli’s post-race interview, with the teenager looking visibly upset and explaining how little confidence he has in his Mercedes right now.

Antonelli is waiting to discover his fate at Mercedes, with his contract set to come to an end after the conclusion of this season.

Toto Wolff is unlikely to be having doubts now about his protégé, given how much pressure has been placed on one of Formula 1’s youngest ever drivers, even if he’s only scored points at one of the last six races.

Damon Hill believes that the ‘hype’ surrounding Antonelli before the season started is beginning to have an impact on his performances.

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Damon Hill tells Kimi Antonelli ‘we need to see’ his potential soon after Belgian Grand Prix mishaps

Hill was asked on the Chequered Flag Podcast where there is now cause for concern around Antonelli and said: “He will be feeling a little bit of pressure now because the hype was probably too much for Kimi as he came into this season.

“You get a learning season, he’s with a top team. OK, they’re not running at the front where they used to be, this is pretty much how they were last year, they’re struggling.

“Although George did actually win this race with incredible strategy, the work is there now for Kimi to actually convince people that he’s got the flair.

“I mean, I did say earlier, he got the Sprint pole in Miami, which was a surprise, but then we’re seeing anomalies really with the Sprint results.

“You can’t really go on a Sprint result and say that is representative. Lewis Hamilton won a Sprint in China, you can change the setup, so the Sprint result is not indicative of what they can be doing in a Grand Prix.

“And ultimately, you’re measured by your pace, your speed, and whether you don’t make mistakes or not, and Kimi is now starting to use up some of his credits, I think, you’d have to say, in terms of whether we’re going to regard him as a future Grand Prix star or not.

“I’m sure he’s got more to offer, but we need to see that now.”

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Kimi Antonelli laments ‘another difficult day’ with mammoth task to score points at Spa ahead of him

Antonelli spoke to the press after his Q1 exit on Saturday and said: “That was another difficult day in what has been a tricky period for us over the past few races.

“I was struggling with the car balance on Friday, and that continued into Qualifying today.

“The confidence wasn’t there, and that showed in the lap time. It is frustrating, as we know we have more pace than we showed today.”

Wolff has yet to confirm whether Russell or Antonelli will be racing for Mercedes in 2026, but he’s been increasingly suggesting that both drivers will be staying with the Silver Arrows next season.

However, Antonelli will want his contract wrapped up sooner rather than later, given his recent struggles, especially as Max Verstappen still hasn’t committed to driving for Red Bull next year.

Mercedes have concerns about loaning Antonelli to Alpine to make space for the Dutchman, but it would allow him to continue getting up to speed in Formula 1 away from the limelight of one of the sport’s biggest teams.