Lewis Hamilton Praises Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Miami GP Sprint Pole
Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has expressed his delight at Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s impressive performance at the Miami Grand Prix, where the 18-year-old rookie secured pole position for Saturday’s sprint race. According to Motorsport.com, Hamilton, who spent 12 years with Mercedes, believes that Antonelli’s achievement is a “great story” and a testament to the team’s decision to promote youth over experience.
As reported by Motorsport.com, Antonelli was promoted to the Mercedes line-up to replace Hamilton, who moved to Ferrari, and his impressive performance has vindicated the team’s choice. Hamilton took to Instagram to re-post a video of Antonelli’s celebrations, which featured his former colleagues Toto Wolff and Pete “Bono” Bonnington. The seven-time world champion explained that the moment brought “warmth” to his heart, particularly given the context of Mercedes’ decision to promote youth.
“It made me really…last night I saw the video of Bono and Kimi and Toto. And it generally just brought warmth to my heart because honestly, I’ve been in that team for a long, long time,” Hamilton said, as quoted by Motorsport.com. “Bono is just the best. And I know there was a lot of questions around whether or not to take on a more experienced driver. To then just continue on and continue to work hard and then get a pole, it kind of silences all the critics.”
Hamilton, who is now driving for Ferrari, suggested that Antonelli should not be disheartened by a fraught start to the race on Saturday, in which he was shown the door by Oscar Piastri in the opening lap of the rain-affected sprint. According to Motorsport.com, he noted that the 18-year-old should not change his style, and called upon him to keep going on his current trajectory. “I’ve not seen the race start, but it was the trickiest of conditions. And we haven’t had any running in the rain here,” Hamilton added. “So that was definitely a very, very tough scenario. Also to have the two fastest right beside you is going to be very tough always.”
The Miami Grand Prix has been a closely watched event, with many pundits eager to see how the young Antonelli would perform under pressure. As reported by Motorsport.com, Hamilton’s praise for Antonelli is a significant endorsement of the young driver’s abilities, and will likely serve to further boost his confidence as he navigates the challenges of the Formula 1 paddock.
In related news, fans can stay up to speed with the latest F1 Miami Grand Prix news, expert analysis, photos, and videos by signing up for Motorsport.com‘s newsletter. The site will also be hosting a live watch along on Race Center Live for Sunday’s event.
Photograph: Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari – Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
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