Lewis Hamilton expects Antonelli to deal with his automobile with care

Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Group driver Lewis Hamilton (44) of Group Nice Britain smiles to the gang throughout a fan discussion board earlier than the Dash Race within the 2024 Formulation One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Obligatory Credit score: Jerome Miron-Imagn Pictures

MEXICO CITY–Lewis Hamilton will hand his Mercedes over to Kimi Antonelli for first observe on the F1 Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix on Friday and the Briton stated he had no issues regardless of the younger Italian crashing final time round.

Antonelli, 18, is changing the Ferrari-bound seven-time F1 world champion at Mercedes subsequent season alongside George Russell, whose automobile he crashed closely on his observe debut at Monza in August.

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“Kimi is younger and he’s studying from his first outing in Monza,” Hamilton advised reporters.

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“I feel what’s secret is, and as I spoke to him, he doesn’t need to set the world alight on the primary lap, simply construct into it, take pleasure in.

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“I advised him the monitor is actually soiled early on, and no matter we’re confronted with we’ll deal with, however I don’t assume he’ll have any issues in any respect.”

Hamilton gained two of his titles in Mexico Metropolis and is the one present driver, other than Crimson Bull’s triple champion Max Verstappen, to have gained a race in Mexico.

READ: F1: ‘Good to be again,’ says Lewis Hamilton after podium return

This time he arrives after a depressing weekend in Austin, Texas, beginning seventeenth and beaching his automobile within the gravel after simply two laps of the race.

“You by no means know what you’re going to expertise, and I’ve no clue how our automobile will probably be right here,” he stated.

“I feel we simply want to ensure we preserve our heads down, and attempt to make the correct selections by means of the session, and we’ll see what comes out of it.”