Lewis Hamilton Emotionally Reflects on Antonelli’s Mercedes Promotion as He Prepares for Ferrari Move

Lewis Hamilton acknowledged feeling significantly moved upon learning about Andrea Kimi Antonelli's advancement to Mercedes, describing the revelation as "very surreal."

Lewis Hamilton described the announcement of Andrea Kimi Antonelli as his successor at Mercedes for the 2025 Formula 1 season as "quite astonishing."

On Saturday morning, Mercedes revealed that their esteemed 18-year-old talent, Antonelli, will fill Hamilton's position next year as the seven-time world champion makes a headline-grabbing move to Ferrari.

Hamilton, who took the F1 community by surprise with his confirmed switch to Ferrari in February, mentioned he has been aware "for quite some time" that Antonelli would be his successor. However, he conceded that witnessing it become a reality was still "significantly moving."

"Hamilton mentioned that Antonelli's confirmation wasn't a surprise to him, as he had been aware of it for quite some time. However, he admitted that knowing it would be officially announced that morning made waking up feel quite unreal.

"I was deeply moved this morning upon receiving official confirmation that my seat has been taken away, especially after having maintained it for such an extended period."

"Genuinely thrilled for Kimi and the entire team. I'm confident Kimi will perform exceptionally well."

In response to a question about whether he's becoming more emotional as his departure from Mercedes approaches, Hamilton stated, "The feeling has been present throughout the year. At every race, my affection for my team is evident, and together, we've experienced quite a bit."

"Every race is going to stir emotions, since each one marks the final time I'll compete in that specific event. With each race, we're approaching the moment when I'll no longer be driving for Mercedes, and that reality is hard to face. It's undoubtedly going to be a challenging experience."

"Currently, my priority is to excel in my role within the team and conclude on a positive note. I need to rediscover my form in time for the qualifying rounds. While my speed during the race is commendable, I must work out a way to return to my former performance level."

Hamilton experienced significant disappointment with his qualifying results at the Italian Grand Prix, finishing in sixth position for the start of Sunday's race, trailing three spots behind his teammate George Russell.

In a post-qualifying interview with Sky, Hamilton mentioned that Mercedes should have achieved more than what he delivered at Monza, humorously adding that "perhaps they'll achieve that with Kimi."

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