Compelling worry about Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s “acrobatic style”

Andrea Kimi Antonelli has excited F1 onlookers ahead of his debut race - but there is one notable worry about his style.

Teenager Antonelli will make his Formula 1 debut at this weekend’s 2025 season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

He fills the huge shoes of Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.

“They have done a great job in preparing him, he’s done 10,000km,” Sky Sports’ Karun Chandhok noted.

“But very little of that has been in a current car with current tyres.

“But in the Bahrain test he looked good! He looked like he belonged in F1.

“There were scrappy mistakes, the odd lock-up. He was still trying to understand the toys - the tools you have in F1 that you don’t have in F2.

“There was plenty of Italian flair. I was excited.”

Tyre worry about Andrea Kimi Antonelli

The Mercedes’ hotshot’s driving style also caught the eye of Ted Kravitz in Bahrain.

“He has an acrobatic style whenever you saw him out on track,” Kravitz said.

“Exciting to watch - but not sure it’ll be great for the tyres.

“They think he will be a star of the future. He’s already got George Russell’s attention.”

Mercedes ignored more experienced options to replace Hamilton, picking Antonelli for his rookie campaign.

Russell, who particularly shone against Hamilton during qualifying in 2024, now has a fresh challenge with a new teammate at the opposite end of his career to Hamilton.

Bernie Collins said: “George sees himself as the leader of that team.

“Can he lead the development, and make it his car?”

She said about Antonelli: “He’s got to build through the year.

“He’ll be quick in qualifying. That’s what we’ve been sold in the Antonelli dream.

“There is a lot of hype around him.

“Can he do the same in the race? Get the points, the consistency? Not have the accidents that we saw last year.

“Can he be fast and bring it home in one piece?”