Montoya's conclusion: 'Antonelli in awful situation due to hype'
F1 News
- Ludo van Denderen
Five rookies will get their Formula 1 shot in 2025. For the first time in a long time, there is again a serious battle for the honorary title of Rookie of the Year. Who is the biggest contender for it? According to Juan Pablo Montoya, it is going to be a battle between young Brit Oliver Bearman (Haas F1) and 18-year-old Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes).
According to the Colombian, Bearman has performed the best in the junior classes. With his previous F1 experience, he believes that the Brit will come out on top in '25. "Ollie Bearman is probably the guy that's done the best job out of all of them. And I think he's probably in the best position out of all of them," Montoya stated to Instant Casino.
Doubts about Antonelli:
The former McLaren driver believes that Bearman is going to be a success in Formula 1. On the other side of the spectrum, it might be difficult for Antonelli to find his bearings in the King's class of motorsport. "His maturity goes a long way. I think his approach looks very good. Kimi is in an awful situation because the opportunity is amazing, but the hype around him, the way the team built him up to justify that he’s replacing Lewis [Hamilton] as the next great thing."
In Montoya's eyes, the Italian is under instant pressure. "He is either going to be a massive star, or he's going to be a tough thing to watch. And you're going against, right now, a very complete George." Montoya concluded.
This article was written in collaboration with Toby Nixon
Want more Formula 1? Then follow GPblog on our various social media channels!