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F1 pundit and Indycar winner James Hinchcliff has shared high praise for Kimi Antonelli, tipping the Mercedes prodigy to become a world champion in the 'not-too-distant future'. The 18-year-old faced skepticism when he was announced as Mercedes' replacement for Lewis Hamilton, but has quickly silenced his doubters with his rapid rise as a rookie driver.
Antonelli turned heads with a sprint pole in the Miami Grand Prix, a result that marked him as the youngest driver to achieve the feat any format of F1. The record was previously held by four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel.
Notably, the breakthrough came in only his sixth race behind the wheel of an F1 car, an act that was last achieved by Lewis Hamilton in his debut season in 2007. The seven time world champion took pole at the Canadian Grand Prix and converted it into his first career-win. Antonelli fell short in that regard, as he faced a multitude of setbacks at the Miami Sprint to ultimately finish outside the top-five.
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Nonetheless, his race craft and ability to handle pressure has earned him widespread respect, with many viewing him as a worthy successor to Hamilton. Reflecting the same, Hinchcliff shared his take on the teenage sensation's recent exploits (via Formula1.com).
"By far what has impressed me the most about Antonelli is how he has handled the pressure that has come with his new position in the sport.....not letting either the good days or bad affect him and his approach in a meaningful way, while maintaining his youthful exuberance and eagerness to improve," he said.
He concluded with a bold claim championing Antonelli for a future world title, stating,
"Based on what we’ve seen out of him over such a short period of time in F1, it’s not hard to imagine Antonelli graduating into a World Champion in the not-too-distant future."
Kimi Antonelli continued his qualifying form when he placed P3 for the Miami GP. On race day, he kept his nose clean during the opening lap battles,but struggled to find pace with the hard compound and fell back to a sixth place finish. That said, he currently ranks sixth in the driver's championship, one spot and seven points ahead of Lewis Hamilton.
Toto Wolff sees 'good indication' about Kimi Antonelli's F1 future
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff reflected upon Kimi Antonelli's stellar weekend in Miami and took comfort in the rookie driver's reassuring single-lap pace. The team principal initially faced strong opposition for choosing the young Italian as Hamilton's replacement, but the decision has steadily gained approval with Antonelli's exceeding expectations on track.
During a post-race interview, Wolff shared his enthusiasm for Antonelli's talent and said (via Formula1.com),
"I think the high point definitely was seeing Kimi Antonelli's speed on a single lap, great. You know that's another proof of his talent and a good indication to how the future can be."
Kimi Antonelli is yet to finish ahead of his race winning teammate, Goerge Russell, but his Miami sprint pole marks the team's first of the 2025 F1 season.
