Will Buxton names the Lewis Hamilton contract clause that shows Kimi Antonelli could have replaced him

Follow us on Google Discover

Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be under immediate pressure to deliver at the front of the field in Formula 1 next season.

The Italian driver will replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes as the seven-time world champion moves to Ferrari.

Antonelli will become the youngest driver on the grid after being fast-tracked up the pyramid to F1, skipping FIA F3 after winning the championship in Italian F4 and FRECA.

Mercedes’ new driver has had an impressive junior career but suffered a difficult debut on a Formula 1 weekend, crashing in FP1 ahead of the Italian Grand Prix. Mercedes protected Antonelli after the crash at Monza in the opening stages of the weekend.

Antonelli is highly thought of by the Mercedes team, having had a superb junior career and conducted a lot of testing in slightly older F1 cars.

Will Buxton explained that a key clause in Lewis Hamilton’s contract allowed Mercedes to keep the door open for their young driver to step into the works team when speaking to The Fast and the Curious podcast.

Will Buxton explained that Lewis Hamilton’s one-plus-one contract was a show of faith in Andrea Kimi Antonelli by Mercedes

Hamilton’s shock move to Ferrari in early 2024 left Mercedes with a dilemma as the British driver was originally signed to stay until next year.

The one-plus-one contract signed by Hamilton gave Mercedes the option to move on from the seven-time world champion.

READ MORE: Haas F1 boss Ayao Komatsu opens up on the ‘very difficult’ reality Nico Hulkenberg had to admit

This short contract showed faith in Antonelli as the German team needed a capable replacement lined up, and they had to be sure the teenager was ready to step up.

Buxton explained that there are high expectations around Antonelli, and Hamilton’s one-plus-one contract showed Mercedes’ readiness to promote the Italian driver.

He said: “I think the one that the expectation is highest on is Kimi. And Toto really believes in him, thinks he’s a Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton type, once in a generation driver.

“And long and short of it is they gave Lewis a one plus one contract because they wanted to open up the opportunity to bring Kimi in. You don’t give the greatest of all time an exit clause unless you think that the kid that you’re potentially going to replace him in is very, very special.”

It is a risk for Andrea Kimi Antonelli to be promoted to F1 by Mercedes

Young drivers are rarely promoted straight into top teams and they spend the early part of their career in the midfield at a smaller team.

Hamilton was parachuted straight into McLaren in 2007 and immediately contended for the world championship in his rookie season.

Antonelli will have a similar pressure and is likely to be in a car able to consistently challenge for podiums and race wins.

His testing programme behind closed doors will have helped him adjust to the speed of a Formula 1 car but not the pressure of a race weekend.