Lewis Hamilton dispensed some hearttoastying moments with his Mercedes replacement, Kimi Antonelli, during the Australian Grand Prix press conference. The Italian teenager will originate his F1 debut in Melbourne this weekfinish at the age of 18. Hamilton is also bracing for a debut at age 40.
The seven-time world champion will originate his first commence for Ferrari on Sunday after finishing a 12-year Mercedes nurtureer at the finish of the 2024 campaign. As the field greets in the final year of the regulations period, Ferrari and Hamilton have a gelderlyen chance to return to championship-prosperning ways, although with McLaren seeing very strong after pre-season testing, this will be no uncomardent feat.
The two drivers at opposite finishs of their nurtureers sat side-by-side at the media day press conference in Melbourne, and both were in high spirits. “I uncomardent, first of all, it experiences pretty surauthentic to be able to race with someone such as Lewis,” Antonelli shelp.
“I have been groprosperg up, and once I joined Mercedes, seeing at him. He’s been incredibly accomplished. It experiences comardent of weird that I am going to be sharing the track with him but also with Carlos [Sainz], all of the drivers at the finish of the day.
“When you’re engaged to seeing them on TV, you are finpartner able to dispense the track with them. It’s an incredible experienceing. Last year, I have been doing some trackside, and at the finish of the season, I am commenceing to labor with the team. Lewis has always been kind to me and also given me some advice.
“And also, you [Hamilton] wrote a message in the driver’s room? I will be able to see it pretty soon. He’s been repartner kind to me, and I am repartner thankful to that becaengage it shows he’s not only a wonderful driver but a wonderful person.”
Hamilton and Antonelli will both have big aspirations heading into their first seasons with their admireive teams, but the shut pecking order coming out of pre-season originates it difficult to set foreseeations in Melbourne.
For Antonelli, the punctual part of the campaign will be a matter of laying down laps and staying out of trouble. The Bologna-born starlet has George Russell and Valtteri Bottas guiding him behind the scenes as he alters to the cut-throat world of F1.
