In recent weeks, the motorsport world has been actively discussing Lewis Hamilton’s upcoming switch to Ferrari in 2025, but there is an equally interesting topic directly related to this: who will be George Russell’s new teammate at Mercedes?
Giancarlo Fisichella, a Formula 1 veteran who still competes in endurance racing, has his own opinion on this.
“I think Mercedes should bet on Andrea Kimi Antonelli,” says the 51-year-old Italian. “This year he will make his debut in Formula 2. He is young, very fast and already performing very well. I would like to see him behind the wheel of a Mercedes car.”
But Giancarlo does not rule out an alternative scenario: “I don’t know what the future holds for Daniel Ricciardo, but he has been driving in Formula 1 for many years and has achieved success, especially with Red Bull. At one point he was even ahead of Sebastian Vettel. He has a wealth of experience that can be useful for any top team. I think Ricciardo could also be a good replacement for Hamilton.”
Because Fisichella has been working with Ferrari for many years, including several races for this team in 2009, he knows well how everything works there and how it works. He estimates Hamilton’s chances of winning an eighth title with the Scuderia at less than 50 percent:
“I think Lewis has a good chance to fight for an eighth title with Ferrari. It’s hard to say when he’ll get this chance, but I estimate it to be 30 to 40 percent.
And if he can win the championship for the eighth time, he will become the most decorated driver in Formula 1 history until someone surpasses his achievements. I hope Lewis succeeds. It would be great, but everything will depend on the car: whether the Ferrari car will be fast and reliable enough. However, we are already talking about 2025 and there is still a whole season ahead of that, so we will see how things go for Hamilton in 2024.”
Fisichella was also asked about the scandalous situation involving Christian Horner.
“If Horner has to leave his post as team leader, it will not be good for Red Bull Racing,” he replied. – Christian is a good person and has been leading this team for many years. They have won so many races and championships together and he deserves a lot of credit for that. If he leaves, it will have a negative impact on the team and could affect the balance of power in the championship.”
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
