50 year old F1 pundit claims Kimi Antonelli is not the 'next Max Verstappen' in stern verdict

Mercedes' much-hyped prodigy Kimi Antonelli is no Max Verstappen. That's the view of Ralf Schumacher, who does have good things to say about the young Italian but doesn't think he belongs in the same category of talent as the 4x F1 champion.

Kimi Antonelli is someone who has been hyped by none other than his boss Toto Wolff for a long time now, and that has led to comparisons with Max Verstappen as well. Those comparisons have seen the young driver breeze through the junior categories faster than others, and he even ended up making his F1 debut with Max Verstappen at just 18 years of age.

The first season with Mercedes has been a bit of a hit and miss for sure. The driver has had a few races where he has been spot on. At the same time, his recent run, where there have been quite a few DNFs and no scores, and an increased deficit to George Russell, has come into the spotlight.

The Mercedes team is not too bothered with where the young driver is at the moment, but there have been a few in the paddock who have started giving their verdict about the Italian, and it's not the most glowing.

Ralf Schumacher is one of them, as he told Bild that Kimi Antonelli will get better as compared to his current barren run, but it's safe to say that he's no Max Verstappen, who made an impact in his rookie season. Schumacher said,

"I do believe Kimi is a strong driver, but he just needs time. He went through the junior series very quickly and therefore has relatively little experience. If everything goes right, he's fast, but the car was clearly too complex. I wouldn't call him the next Max Verstappen ,"

Max Verstappen starting to make peace with Red Bull's reduced competitiveness

Ahead of the F1 Hungarian GP, Verstappen quashed rumors about his future and revealed that he would be driving at Red Bull in 2026. The driver also appeared to have made peace with where the car was at the moment, as he told F1.com,

"You also just have to accept where you're at. Yeah, we are not the quickest at the moment, but we're also not the slowest. We always want to be better, and actually that was the same when we were winning. Now we're not winning that much."

He added,

"We just try to focus on understanding the car a bit better, where we can find our time, because of course next year there's new regulations, but I think there's still a lot to learn also this year."

Whether Kimi Antonelli is the next Max Verstappen is a question we would take a few years to answer, but it is safe to say that the two could be a part of the same team in the coming years if the leaked photos of the Dutch driver with Toto Wolff during the summer break are anything to go by.