David Coulthard warns Andrea Kimi Antonelli of what ‘will define’ 2025 Mercedes driver’s F1 career

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Andrea Kimi Antonelli is a risky signing by Mercedes despite his impressive junior career and extensive testing programme in slightly older F1 cars.

The Italian driver will replace the outgoing Lewis Hamilton, who will leave Mercedes for the 2025 season to join Ferrari.

Antonelli, at 18 years old, will become the youngest driver on the grid and will be expected to perform at the front of the field.

It is rare that a rookie is thrown straight into a top team, with the last instance being Hamilton, who joined McLaren in 2007 and narrowly missed out on the championship.

Antonelli will race against George Russell at Mercedes, and David Coulthard explained when talking on the Formula For Success podcast that one aspect will shape the Italian’s career.

David Coulthard feels Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s second season ‘will define’ his F1 career

Antonelli had a difficult debut on a Formula 1 race weekend, crashing in FP1 ahead of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, after an impressive start to the session.

The Italian driver will have another opportunity to impress this weekend in first practice ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix, where he will have to keep the car on the track.

There will be a significant amount of pressure on the Mercedes driver, as the margins at the front of the field are so fine.

He will need to adapt to new tracks, but Toto Wolff is optimistic Antonelli can deliver good results during his rookie season.

Coulthard explained Antonelli has a lot of talent but may struggle to challenge Russell over the entire season next year. So, his second season in Formula 1 will ‘define’ what career Antonelli has in the pinnacle of motorsport more than 2024.

He said: “With Kimi Antonelli, I think he’ll be in a brilliant position to learn from George, but I don’t expect him to challenge George over the course of his first full season in Formula 1.

“And then whether he does that in his second season will define whether he goes on to be one of the greats or not.

“I don’t doubt that Kimi has a load of potential, but I don’t think he’ll beat George in his first season. And then we’ll judge him in the second season when he’s got a bit more maturity and experience.”

Andrea Kimi Antonelli will have to adapt quickly to F1 next season

The style of racing in Formula 1 is very different to the range of junior championships which may take some adjusting for Antonelli.

Over a season, Formula 1 races are much longer than an F2 event, meaning the wheel-to-wheel combat is less chaotic.

There is also more of an emphasis on tyre management, as the Pirelli tyres are notoriously difficult to manage over a stint.

Antonelli will also have to deal with fine-tuning his car every lap and learning more controls on the steering wheel, which is something Franco Colapinto is struggling with at Williams.