David Coulthard explains why Kimi Antonelli is the ‘best prepared’ Formula 1 rookie for next season

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There are still six Grand Prix remaining in the 2024 Formula 1 season, but excitement is already building around next year.

There will be at least three rookies on the grid in 2025 including the highly-rated Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli.

Mercedes knew before the season opener in Bahrain that Lewis Hamilton would be moving on after deciding to seemingly end his Formula 1 career with Ferrari.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Mercedes AMG F1 Team from team principal to lineage

After months of waiting, team principal Toto Wolff decided to promote Antonelli, and he’ll join fellow newcomers Oliver Bearman and Jack Doohan after they were signed by Haas and Alpine, respectively.

Liam Lawson will make his second debut for RB at the United States Grand Prix with one eye on earning a full-time race seat with the team – or even a promotion to Red Bull – in 2025.

Sauber also haven’t decided who will join Nico Hulkenberg for next year with Gabriel Bortoleto one option being considered alongside Franco Colapinto.

David Coulthard was speaking on the Formula For Success Extra Podcast and discussed the fate of next year’s rookies.

Even though Antonelli is only midway through his first Formula 2 season – and he skipped F3 altogether – Coulthard still thinks he’s better prepared for life in F1 than Bearman and Doohan.

That says an awful lot about Mercedes’s approach to developing Antonelli this year given Bearman already has two Grand Prix starts under his belt.

Doohan has worked relentlessly with Alpine this year too and has been praised for his work behind the scenes during race weekends to help the team get the most out of their car.

David Coulthard explains why Kimi Antonelli is F1’s ‘best prepared’ rookie for 2025

Talking about the new drivers coming through, Coulthard said: “Yeah, it should always be about bringing the next layer of talent on and having the belief in the guys who are showing real, high-level performance in the lower formulas.

“Antonelli’s probably the best prepared in terms of he’s been doing a lot of old car testing and he’s had the opportunity with looking over the shoulder of a seven-time world champion.

READ MORE: Who is 2025 Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli? Everything to know

“He’s got to be primed and ready to go. Big challenge alongside George Russell of course who’s consistently been the quicker of the single-lap guys at Mercedes this year.

“I know Lewis has been questioning tyres and all the rest of it, but you’ve got what you’ve got and basically you’ve just got to get on with it.”

Alex Jacques added: “Yeah, if Kimi Antonelli is outqualifying George Russell everyone will sit up very, very quickly and pay attention.

“There are so many good narratives next year of which the rookies are definitely part of it.”

Kimi Antonelli immediately ‘understood’ one thing during his first Mercedes F1 test

Antonelli has been prepared for a promotion into Formula 1 throughout 2024 by Mercedes even when his seat on the grid in 2025 was far from guaranteed.

Mercedes didn’t want to send Antonelli to Williams even when a seat opened up after Logan Sargeant was dropped after the Dutch Grand Prix.

Instead, they wanted him to continue working on their tailored plan for the young Italian ahead of a debut campaign that’s going to be studied intrinsically by fans and the media.

During Antonelli’s first test, he immediately understood the pressure that would be on him due to the number of people working on his car.

He’s the most high-profile driver in F2 this year, but his performances impact a proportionally much smaller number of people whether he succeeds or fails.

How he copes with this extra scrutiny will go a long way to deciding whether he can live up to the hype already surrounding him.