Lewis Hamilton opens up on Antonelli support after Mercedes motorhome visit

While Lewis Hamilton does not want to “encroach”, he has told Kimi Antonelli that he is there if he needs him.

Hamilton is happy to support his Mercedes replacement in what has been an at times challenging first half-season in Formula 1 for Antonelli. Mercedes promoted their teenage star to an F1 2025 race seat after Hamilton departed for Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton: Kimi Antonelli is ‘a really great lad’

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Debuting with a front-running team in Mercedes, at only 18 years old, as the replacement for Formula 1’s most successful driver, was always going to be a huge task for Antonelli. Though, it has been more of a struggle than the Italian would have expected at certain stages.

After regular points-scoring finishes at the start of his F1 career, Antonelli and team-mate George Russell both suffered when Mercedes took a wrong turn with a rear-suspension upgrade. The experienced hand Russell still scored points – and a victory in Canada, where Antonelli scored his first podium – but that rocky period hit Antonelli harder.

Antonelli has scored points in just two of his last 10 grands prix, and after suffering a further setback in Belgium, Hamilton headed down to his former stomping ground, his visit to the Mercedes motorhome including a chat with Antonelli.

“He came to say hi to the team, and definitely we had a couple of words,” Antonelli told the media, including PlanetF1.com.

“He was telling me to keep my head up, and that it’s normal to have bad weekends, and to just keep believing.

“It was really nice for me.”

Mercedes rowed back on their rear-suspension upgrade in Hungary, where Russell returned to the podium, and Antonelli to the points.

Hamilton knows how a “bad experience” can hit hard and wants to be available to Antonelli should he want his help to get through the tough times.

“I always let him know that I’m there,” Hamilton told the media, including PlanetF1.com. “I think it’s always important to let people know they’re not alone, and so I let him know that.

“I try not to encroach, get in the way or anything like that. But just let him know that he can always lean on me if he ever needs [to].

Latest F1 2025 head-to-head standings from PlanetF1.com

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

“He’s already got an amazing group of people around him.

“And he’s 18. I mean, I wasn’t ready at 18. He clearly is, because he’s done a great job. I think this year, particularly the first half of the year, the way he’s jumped in, and I’ve been behind him several times when he’s not budged. So, he’s clearly got the ability.

“And it’s just a bad experience. It’s very difficult when you want to succeed, and with all the pressure and everything, it’s sometimes difficult to handle.

“But I think he’s been doing really, really, really well. And he’s a really great lad.”

Antonelli sits seventh in the Drivers’ Championship standings on 64 points, one position and 45 points behind Hamilton.

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