Lewis Hamilton’s crunch verdict on Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli

Lewis Hamilton has told Mercedes they should back Kimi Antonelli as his replacement.

Mercedes still have not confirmed who will step into the car left behind by Hamilton, who will go to Ferrari in 2025.

Teenage starlet Antonelli is tipped to get the nod, and will drive in FP1 on Friday for Mercedes at the F1 Italian Grand Prix.

“I said a long time ago that I think he was who the team should choose moving forwards,” Hamilton told media including Crash.net at Monza.

“He’s one of those young, super talented kids coming through. He’s a young adult now, but he’s only 18.

“I think people need to remember he is just 18, but he has a bright future ahead of him and I’m really excited to see and watch his progress.

“I saw a picture of us earlier on of us back in I think 2018. He was one of the grid kids and it’s like ‘shit, now he’s going to be on the grid’.

“It obviously reminds you of how old you are when you have those experiences, but yeah I’m looking forward to seeing him on track in Formula 1.”

Hamilton backs 'new wave' of talent

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has talked up the prodigious talent of Antonelli all year.

“We’ve been watching him through the different formulas,” Hamilton said.

“Naturally, he is a Mercedes driver. We are starting to see a lot of young drivers coming through. I think we’re just in that time.

“There’s only 20 seats but this is a time we’re starting to see this new wave coming through.

“In terms of taking on a driver that’s had many years of experience as opposed to giving an opportunity to a youngster, that’s what happened for me and it worked out quite well.

“In my opinion it’s just an opportunity to grow. He’s going to get to work with the best in class, learn from people that I’ve worked with and some new. It’s a great environment for him to nurture in.”

Antonelli was fast-tracked by Wolff into a Formula 2 seat this year. He has won one sprint and one feature race so far.

He will get behind the wheel of an F1 car, during an official session, for the first time on Friday in his home country.

And his youthful fresh perspective could aid Mercedes’ development.

“It’s definitely always good having more input,” Hamilton said.

“For Kimi tomorrow it’s just about enjoying himself and having fun. It’s going to be an experience for him.

“He’s obviously been testing but tomorrow will be the first time testing this car, which is so much nicer than the 2022 car.

“So he’s going to be all smiles tomorrow for sure. It’s a pretty drastic difference. The more information and input we get, the better.”