How is Toto Wolff is trying to set Antonelli on a Hamilton-like path?
F1 News
Last Saturday, it became official: After rumours circulating around the paddock, Andrea Kimi Antonelli was chosen by Toto Wolff and the Mercedes team to be Lewis Hamilton's replacement in the 2025 season. Ahead of starting out next year however, the 18-year-old Italian has to complete a set of programs, the Austrian team principal explained.
Wolff on preparing Antonelli
Preparing for the upcoming season, the driver and Mercedes' team principal talked about the TPCs that prepare the driver for his next challenge. "The TPC testing this year was of real importance," Wolff began telling GPblog among others in Italy.
Wolff believes that following the Hamilton 'blueprint' can be a successful way of introducing the 18-year-old to the competition. "We will continue with that because when you look at the blueprint back in the day that Lewis gave, it was a lot of testing to prepare not only for the driving but also going through a race week and preparation. It's what we've done also in the last one. So that program is going to continue."
He continued: "When thinking about an opportunity at Williams, for example, we hoped to continue with our program and continuing to educate Kimi. Finishing with another, doing another FP1 session. Free practice session. Not a qualifying session!" the Austrian also joked about Antonelli's crash back in FP1 in Monza.
"And then doing Abu Dhabi and taking it from there. Because I think the more kilometres you do, especially in a car that is not great, the TPC car, that's not the best car… It's going to get him, I don't know, 15 or 20 days under the belt," the team principal and CEO concluded.
Antonelli's TPCs so far
So far, according to Antonelli, he has completed 8 TPCs already. "We did two at A1 Ring [Red Bull Ring, Spielberg]. The first was snowing. Then two in Imola. One in Silverstone. Two in Barcelona. And the last one was in Spa," he counted his previous test.
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