Mercedes team principal has expressed regret over the immense pressure placed on Mercedes junior driver Kimi Antonelli after the latter’s underwhelming Formula 2 debut. Antonelli, who recently joined PREMA Racing in F2 alongside Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman, struggled to make an impact during the opening round in Sakhir. Despite finishing ahead of his teammate in both the Sprint and Feature races, Antonelli’s performance fell short of expectations, particularly for a team with PREMA’s strong history in junior categories.
The Mercedes boss voiced his dissatisfaction with the team’s results, emphasizing that a championship-caliber outfit like PREMA should not be placing in the lower half of the grid. He highlighted the benchmark set by Bearman, acknowledging the Ferrari junior as a talented competitor but underlining the overall disappointment in both drivers’ finishes.
Speaking to the media, the Mercedes principal admitted he felt responsible for the heightened expectations surrounding Antonelli. Over the years, Antonelli has been lauded as a promising future star and even as a potential successor to Lewis Hamilton. However, the team boss acknowledged that his words may have created undue pressure. He expressed a cautious approach moving forward, stating that Mercedes would not rush into making decisions about their future driver lineup.
“I’ve been guilty of hyping [Antonelli] up too much,” he admitted. “We’ll see how the next few races unfold. I’m not in any hurry to finalize anything regarding our drivers. After previously being rushed into decisions by Lewis, this time, I’ll take my time and evaluate the market.”
Antonelli’s future as a potential F1 driver has also sparked discussions among motorsport analysts. Some speculate he could step up to replace Hamilton, who will join Ferrari in 2025. However, an F1 pundit suggested that Antonelli would need to dominate the F2 Championship in 2024 to even have a slim chance of securing a Mercedes seat. They argued that placing a rookie driver directly into a top team like Mercedes requires extraordinary performances in the feeder series, which Antonelli has yet to deliver.
Antonelli has been part of the Mercedes junior program since 2019 and has shown remarkable talent in junior categories. His rapid progression allowed him to bypass Formula 3 and step directly into F2 with PREMA Racing. While his potential remains undeniable, the challenging debut season underscores the steep learning curve he faces at this level.