Has Mercedes pushed Antonelli into F1 too soon? Analysts weigh in
Did Mercedes make a mistake by allowing Andrea Kimi Antonelli to debut in Formula 1 so early? Viaplay analysts Allard Kalff and Kees van de Grint debated this question, especially given the struggles the young Italian talent has faced in recent races.
It was Kalff who started the discussion. “Even now, Antonelli finishes far behind George Russell. He performs decently in qualifying, but this week he was almost in tears on camera, unsure of what to do next. That makes me wonder if Mercedes rushed him into the deep end too soon. As I mentioned, high expectations often lead to disappointment. Expectations for Antonelli were sky-high. He’s a talented driver, I really like him and think he’s fantastic, but he hasn’t yet proven himself at this level.”
Did Mercedes make the right choice after all?
According to analyst Kees van de Grint, Mercedes actually made the right decision. He believes Antonelli can gain valuable experience by being part of a top Formula 1 team. Van de Grint has great confidence in the judgment of team boss Toto Wolff. “As long as Toto Wolff sees him as the man of the future, then I believe he is. Every driver goes through this phase, and I’m okay with it [Mercedes making this choice].”
Antonelli’s achieved his best result finishing on the podium at the Canadian GP. Talking to a small group of media, including GPblog, Mercedes team representative Bradley Lord also talked about the young Italian's season.
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