“Mistake” question posed as Mercedes delay naming Lewis Hamilton replacement

The secrecy around the true potential of Andrea Kimi Antonelli makes it difficult to judge Mercedes’ decision-making, it has been suggested.

Antonelli is now the clear and obvious contender to replace Lewis Hamilton, who is heading to Ferrari next year, in a Mercedes F1 car.

Carlos Sainz’s signing at Williams removed him as a small possibility and has paved the way for Antonelli, the talented teenager who is now in his rookie F2 campaign.

Antonelli has also tested a Mercedes but his proficiency remains unknown.

“None of us can see what is happening in testing so we don’t know how strong it has been,” Bernie Collins told the Sky F1 podcast.

“The other series’ results, you can’t look at those on their own, because of car performance and team performance. It is really difficult to get a read. But results have picked up.

“I was interested that he commented he might not be ready himself, which is interesting from a driver. These guys are confident beyond what we can imagine, generally!”

Antonelli won his second F2 race in Hungary then admitted: "I don't know if I will be ready, to be honest. I'm still learning a lot in F2.

"I definitely still make a lot of mistakes and the details that really matter, I'm still not doing everything right. I just want to be honest."

Ferrari's strategy for young drivers

Collins added: “The other interesting aspect is George’s route into Mercedes through Williams who still take their gearbox and engine.

“I wonder if, internally, James Vowles said they don’t want to be a junior team, and they want to build a team in their own right. Because that would have been a softer landing for Antonelli, to go through Williams then to Mercedes a year later.

“We were all impressed by Oliver Bearman in Jeddah, he did a fantastic job in the Ferrari. 

"Potentially it would have been safer for “Ferrari to take Nico Hulkenberg or Kevin Magnussen from their ‘junior’ team [Haas], if you want to put it that way.

“Next year, Bearman is going into the Haas.

“It’s interesting the two different ways that Mercedes and Ferrari have attacked the younger guys that they want in their car.”

Craig Slater said about Antonelli: “I can’t see another option for Mercedes.”