Former Michael Schumacher engineer shares the striking thing he’s noticed in Kimi Antonelli’s data

Follow us on Google Discover

Mercedes have taken a major gamble, on the face of it, by hiring Kimi Antonelli as a replacement for Lewis Hamilton. A seven-time world champion will give way to the third-youngest driver in the sport’s history.

But team principal Toto Wolff won’t see it as a risk. In fact, Wolff regards Antonelli as the next Max Verstappen after what he’s seen in the junior formulae.

Antonelli has signed a multi-year deal, which indicates that Mercedes are taking a patient approach. His crash just 10 minutes into FP1 debut at Monza shows that he remains raw.

The Silver Arrows know that he’ll make more mistakes next year, while only showing glimpses of his true speed as he adapts to Formula 1. Wolff has already downplayed expectations for Antonelli’s debut in Australia.

Mercedes are trying to protect Antonelli as much as possible. They want to a nurture talent whom they believe can deliver multiple world championships long-term.

Even if it doesn’t work, and Antonelli, like so many before, fails to maintain his superstar trajectory, Mercedes will have a strong backup plan. They remain one of the most desirable destinations in Formula 1, with Wolff still eyeing Verstappen in the event that he leaves Red Bull.

Kimi Antonelli was ‘way ahead of the curve’ before replacing Lewis Hamilton

Speaking on the James Allen on F1 podcast, former Ferrari engineer Rob Smedley shared his insight on Antonelli. Smedley worked with Michael Schumacher during his time at Maranello, while also supporting Felipe Massa.

He now heads up the Smedley Group, which uses ‘data analysis to objectively identify talent’ in motorsport. Having studied Antonelli’s numbers, he was struck by his consistency and the progress he’d made relative to his peers.

The Italian has perhaps slightly fallen short of expectations in F2 this year. With two rounds left, he ranks sixth in the championship, having only scored three podiums, though he has amassed more than double the points of teammate and 2025 Haas signing Oliver Bearman (116 vs 50).

“Certainly Kimi, up until this year in Formula 2, all of his markers were so consistent,” Smedley said. “All of the insights that you could draw from what he’d done in his junior career, he was way ahead of the curve on most of them. I guess that’s the bet they’ve taken with him.”

The interview moment that shows the challenge facing Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes

Many Formula 1 fans wouldn’t have been familiar with Antonelli at the start of 2024. A year later, he’ll be filling one of the highest-profile seats on the grid.

Hamilton has been helping Antonelli ahead of the transition over the winter, but he may also need to prepare him for fame. The Briton is one of the few drivers who’s raced for a top team (in his case McLaren) as a rookie.

During his very first press conference, Antonelli ‘turned purple’ with embarrassment as he answered a question. Clearly, he’s still a little uncomfortable in that environment.

Antonelli will need to present himself confidently when he’s a full-time driver next year. While his on-track exploits are obviously most important, that’s only part of the challenge he faces.