New era at Mercedes: Antonelli to replace Hamilton in 2024

Monza, Italy — In a significant shift for Formula 1's landscape, it was officially announced on Saturday morning that 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli will replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next season. This decision comes on the heels of Hamilton's earlier agreement to switch to Ferrari in 2025, paving the way for young talent at Mercedes.

Hamilton, who has been a dominant force for Mercedes since 2013, described the announcement as "surreal" and "emotional." Despite being aware of the decision for some time, the official confirmation brought a wave of feelings for the veteran driver.

"I mean, I've known for ages... but definitely this morning, I knew it would be announced this morning, and I definitely woke up and it was very surreal, just to have it officially confirmed my seat is going and that I've held on for it for so long," Hamilton shared. "I was quite emotional this morning. But really happy for Kimi and for this team. I know Kimi is going to do a great job."

This year's British Grand Prix witnessed an emotionally charged victory for Hamilton — his first in over two and a half years. He followed it up with another triumph at the Belgian Grand Prix, taking the win after teammate George Russell was disqualified.

Reflecting on his illustrious career with Mercedes, where he secured six of his seven world titles, Hamilton acknowledged the emotions tied to every race this season, knowing it marks the closing chapters of his tenure with the team.

"It's been there all year. Every single race we have turned up and I ... I love my team so much and we have been through a hell of a lot together," Hamilton said. "So it will be emotional every single race, because every race we do is the last time at that particular race and every race we get closer and closer to the last time I'll be in a Mercedes and that is tough, it's definitely going to be tough."

Despite the emotional undercurrents, Hamilton's focus remains clear. "My focus now is to try and do the best job I can for the team and finish on a high. I've got to find myself for qualifying somehow. My race pace is great, I've just got to figure out how to get back to my old self."

In the qualifying rounds for Sunday's Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Hamilton secured the sixth spot on the grid, just 0.186 seconds behind pole-sitter Lando Norris. However, Hamilton felt he could have performed better, admitting to errors that cost him crucial time.

"I'm absolutely furious," Hamilton told Sky Sports. "I could have been on pole. I could have been at least on the front row. I didn't do the job in the end. I lost 0.15 seconds into Turn One and Two and then I lost 0.1 seconds at the last corner. No one to blame but myself."

Qualifying has been a challenge for Hamilton recently. "Qualifying has been my weakness for a minute now and I can't figure it out. I'll keep trying," he said. Despite the setback, Hamilton remains optimistic about the race ahead. "Ultimately I've got to move forwards. We have a good race car, the team have done an amazing job this weekend. The car has been feeling much better than the last race and the team deserve better. Maybe they'll get that with Kimi."

As Hamilton gears up for his final races with Mercedes, the announcement of Antonelli heralds a new chapter for the team and the sport at large. The coming seasons promise more thrilling competition and the continuation of the legacy Hamilton has built at Mercedes.

Up Next

• Norris expects Verstappen's fightback from seventh at Italian GP
• Mercedes replaces Hamilton with teen prodigy Antonelli

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