Praise for Norris, Piastri and Antonelli: 'They are the future of Formula One'

McLaren is currently leading the Constructors' Championship. The drivers' championship—the most appealing top prize in Formula 1—is likely to go to Max Verstappen. The Dutchman can wrap up the World Championship in Las Vegas after Lando Norris staged somewhat of a fight. Mario Andretti also saw many mistakes by the driver and his team, which made the Briton leave the honour to Verstappen.

"The material to win [the title] was there, but I don't think they expected to be fighting for the world championship so soon," the former Formula 1 world champion told the Gazzetta dello Sport. "When a team has not competed for the title for years, it takes time to get back in the fight with the top teams."

The same applies to the drivers, according to Andretti. "Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are two extremely fast and competitive youngsters, but they have never been in this situation. Maybe not everything went the way they wanted, but they have a wonderful future ahead of them."

The same goes for Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the only 18-year-old who will get a chance at Mercedes in 2025. Andretti is looking forward to his entry into Formula 1. "Especially because he is a boy who is talked about a lot and who will be in an important team," he said. Mercedes has chosen to look to the future and the future of Formula 1 is in the hands of talents like him. The fact that he is Italian makes everything even better."