F1 News
Wolff proud to showcase two Mercedes juniors: 'More than an announcement'
- Jeroen Immink
At the Italian Grand Prix weekend, Mercedes announced that Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be Lewis Hamilton's replacement at Mercedes for the 2025 Formula 1 season. Antonelli will partner with George Russell and create an all-Mercedes-trained lineup. Team boss Toto Wolff was proud to showcase that fact.
Antonelli: 'I still have a lot to learn'
Wolff has opted to throw the Italian in at the deep end. He will make his F1 debut for Mercedes and be competing towards the front of the grid immediately. Antonelli himself recently commented that he has only just started. "I have to say one of my weakest points was the long run. And in the last few TPCs, I've been improving that a lot because I was feeling much better with the car. I still have so much to learn. Learning how to deal with a full race weekend. And I think yesterday [Friday in Italy] was the proof. Still learning all the procedures. Not only on the steering wheel, but also the cars. But every time I go in the car, I feel much better," Antonelli said.
Wolff: 'These two drivers mean a lot to Mercedes'
Team boss Wolff indicated that it is a very good feeling that two juniors have made it into Mercedes' top seats. "I must say that personally, as a team, I feel so much pride sitting with these two here. That we're sitting here with two of them that have been delivering that is super proud for us at Mercedes. And having a full young driver lineup now, with the two, is much more than just a driver announcement. For all of us at Mercedes," Wolff said.
This article has been created in collaboration with Matt Gretton
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