Andrea Kimi Antonelli has been on the list of candidates to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025 for months. Team boss Toto Wolff has made no secret of his consideration for the 17-year-old Italian, but 2009 world champion Jenson Button warns that an early debut could ruin Antonelli’s career.
Jenson Button: “I don’t think he’s too young to make his debut. When a rider is 17, 18, 19 years old, he should take every opportunity and not refuse an offer [дебютировать в Формуле 1]. However, if I were the team, I would think carefully about what they can give to the driver and his career at this age.
If Kimi shines at Mercedes, that’s great, but we can’t forget the pressure that comes with sport. This pressure could easily destroy the career of a young racer.
The balance has to be right and teams have to be very careful in their decisions.”
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.
