Formula 1

“It didn’t make sense to me” : Lewis Hamilton was ‘perplexed’ by Mercedes choosing soft instead of medium tyres Qualifying has been a major issue for Lewis Hamilton this year, but at the Marina Street Circuit, he was able to overperform and finish third, just after the two main protagonists for this season’s world championship title. Alas, things did not go the perfect way at the end as the Briton ultimately finished third, and the blame was once again put on the car and the Mercedes’ staff. The issue arrived when the soft tyres were chosen ahead of the medium tyres, as typically, the latter are the primary choice of tyres used at the start of races. Moreover, Hamilton’s teammate George Russell also started with medium tyres including others. The Briton was vividly disappointed by this decision and revealed that he was pushing a lot to be switched to medium tyres, but the whole team suggested him that it would be better to start on the soft. “I was so angry… so already from that moment I’m frustrated” : Lewis Hamilton After finishing sixth, the Briton post-race had a lot on his mind. He reflected on his frustration after a meeting he had with the team the night before the race, revealing the decision was already made to split the cars. Seeing this, Hamilton said that he was quite puzzled, as both him and Russell started off from the same grid. “We sat in our meeting in the morning of the race, actually the night before they already mentioned that they would like to split the cars, and for me, I was a bit perplexed by it. Because in the past, when we’ve ever been in that position… Normally if George has qualified well like he normally does and I’m out of the top 10 or something, then we’ll split the strategies, but we were so close. It didn’t make sense to me,” said the Briton alongside George Russell in a live event of Mercedes’ partner Petronas (via Planet F1.com). Russell tried to keep things high spirited and gleeful by jokingly admitting that he knew Hamilton would not be happy by this decision. Regardless, the 39-year-old went on to talk about how ‘angry’ and ‘frustrated’ he felt because of this. After going to the pit on Lap 17, he knew it was impossible to come back and even finish podium, due to the new hard tyres being a scuffle in the midst of the heat. “I was so angry, so already from that moment I’m frustrated. And then I tried my best to keep up with the guys ahead. They were too fast. And then I trust tried to make that tyre last as long as could and I had to stop on Lap 17 and I knew from that moment, then the race was done for me, because the hard tyre was going to be a struggle in that heat,” the seven-time world champion continued. “And we’d been struggling with the balance of the car all weekend, so we were changing so many different things. We got a good qualifying, but unfortunately, the race was too much of a struggle for us.” Hamilton concluded. Although Hamilton had to ‘settle’ for P6, he is 19 points ahead of his teammate George Russell in the F1 Drivers’ standings at sixth place. Car issues and team disagreements have been the common theme for the Briton’s struggles this season, but that might change in the upcoming USA GP held in Austin, Texas. The Silver Arrows CEO Toto Wolff believes that the new floor of the Circuit of the Americas might be the key start for the Mercedes duo to improve their performances. Also Read: “It’s going to be one hell of a second half of the season” : Lewis Hamilton has high hopes for the remainder of the year

“I don’t like how he’s expressed it” : Lewis Hamilton criticizes FIA President Ben Sulayem’s ‘racial’ comments Ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, FIA President Ben Sulayem pointed out that he needs to make some changes which will lead to the use of less explicit language broadcast by FOM (Formula One Management), as they have the power to control F1 sessions. This change would have been met with no controversies, if not for the way the Emirati described his wish, which has led to many serious criticisms being passed on. “We have to differentiate between our sport – motorsport – and rap music. We’re not rappers, you know. They say the F-word how many times per minute? We are not on that. That’s them and we are [us],” said the 62-year-old (via Autosport). Although Sulayem’s main concern was already understood, it has been overshadowed by his way of describing this event. Many around the world of F1 have stated their opinions on this matter, including the main stars of the show like Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. “I think those were the wrong choice of words” : Lewis Hamilton stages his concern over the FIA President’s remarks When asked about his point of view in this matter, the Briton first expressed that he understood the concern of Sulayem, but then quickly frowned about the way it was expressed. Hamilton also reflected that the example provided by the FIA President was stereotypical and on the ‘racial’ side. “With what he said, I don’t like how he expressed it,” Hamilton said. “Saying rappers is very stereotypical as most rappers are black. It really kind of points towards ‘we are not like them’, so I think those were the wrong choice of words and there’s a racial element there,” said the Briton. “I agree things need clearing up a bit but it is also good to have some emotion as we are not robots.” the 39-year-old added. Apart from the seven-time world champion, the current frontrunners to win this year’s championship, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris have also voted against the Emirati boss’s words, reflecting upon the fact that swearing eventually occurs during races, and that the broadcasters should do a better job in handling them. “I think you will swear anyway. If it’s not in this room maybe somewhere else. Everyone swears, some people a bit more than others.” the three-time world champion said. “They can just not play the radios. We are the guys in the heat of the moment, under stress, under pressure, having big crashe,.” revealed Norris. The team radio is one of the most important aspects during a race, and when the going gets tough, drivers tend to pull out their more explicit side due to the pressure they are dealing with in the circuit. Also Read: “It’s going to be one hell of a second half of the season” : Lewis Hamilton has high hopes for the remainder of the year

“Max Verstappen is probably the best we’ve ever seen in Formula 1” : Gerhard Berger chooses Dutchman over Lewis Hamilton as the greatest F1 driver The debate around the greatest F1 driver of all time usually revolves around two drivers – Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher. Both are tied with seven world championships each, with the German winning two with Benetton and a record five-in-a-row with Scuderia Ferrari from 2000-2004. Although, the Briton is usually considered higher than the German when it comes to rankings, as he also has the most wins, podium finishes, pole positions and overall Grand Prix victories. Lewis Hamilton last won the championship in 2020 with Mercedes, and came agonizingly close to break the record the next year, only to be beaten by the current best driver in the world, Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen. The 26-year-old has now won three world championships in a row, and is the current favourite for this year’s as well. Verstappen is 59 points ahead of his immediate competition in McLaren’s Lando Norris, and with just six Grand Prix left for the season, it seems like the Dutchman will tie Sebastien Vettel and Alian Prost at four world championships soon. “Neither Ayrton Senna, Schumacher nor Hamilton had this tool” : Gerhard Berger believes Max Verstappen is the real deal Ever since the Dutchman’s uprising as the best in the business, he has been compared to Lewis Hamilton. For many, the Briton is the benchmark when it comes to F1 greats, but recently, another F1 icon Gerhard Berger, made a surprising statement on who he believes is the absolute best. “He thinks through where you can overtake and where you can’t. Neither (Ayrton) Senna, Schumacher nor Hamilton had this tool. It’s just noticeable that Max is always in the right place. At the start, in the first corner, in a duel. I can’t think of anything that could be done better than him. That’s why Max Verstappen is probably the best we’ve ever seen in Formula 1,” said the Austrian, speaking with Auto Motor und Sport. As true as the 65-year-old’s comments may be, it would be far fetched to say that the Dutchman is already the greatest F1 driver of all time. Obviously, he possesses the tools to become the best, but has a long way ahead to catch up with the likes of Hamilton and Schumacher; and if we look stats wise, he is currently nowhere near the best of the duo. But age can play a major factor for Verstappen to be considered the ‘GOAT’, as he is only 26 years old and already on his way of capturing his fourth world title. If he can keep up with the same consistency for the rest of his career, we may very well see the first F1 driver with double digit championships to his name. Also Read: “It’s going to be one hell of a second half of the season” : Lewis Hamilton has high hopes for the remainder of the year

“I knew it was going to be a disastrous race as soon as this decision was made last night” : Lewis Hamilton disheartened after finishing ninth at Azerbaijan GP Ever since the F1 season resumed after the summer break, Lewis Hamilton has finished in eighth, fifth, and now in ninth position in the recently concluded Azerbaijan GP. The German team’s resurgence this season has been put on a halt as they have been unable to meet their competition. For Hamilton and co., the race seemed to already be a bust after he finished seventh in qualifying at the Baku City Circuit last Saturday. To make matters worse, the Briton had to start Sunday’s 51-lap race from pit lane after Mercedes decided to fit in a new engine, as he struggled to cover up the vast ground. If not for the crash between Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez who were fighting for the third spot, the Briton would have finished outside the top 10. Throughout the race, the Briton felt let down by his car yet again, and the communication in the team radio was tensed more often than not. Hamilton also complained about certain balance issues in the car which gave him a very hard time in the circuit.  “It was the worst balance I’ve probably ever had. Basically, I had so much front end but no rears I had to turn… it’s not the way you drive. I had to yank the steering to break the traction from the front and slide the front through every corner,” said the 39-year-old (via Crash.net). “It’s the weirdest way I had to drive. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to overtake. It’s difficult to follow in the middle, but at least be close at the end. I don’t know why our pace was so bad on our side. It happens,” a disappointed Hamilton added. Addressing the media after the race, the Briton revealed that they had a great car on Friday, but after making a few tweaks coming into Saturday led them the wrong way. He also already knew it was going to be a ‘tough day’ before the race, and that the engine penalty made matters even worse. “I knew it was going to be a disastrous race as soon as this decision was made last night,” said the seven-time world champion (via Sky Sports). “That was a horror race” : Mercedes boss sympathizes with Lewis Hamilton Similarly, the Silver Arrows boss Toto Wolff was not the happiest man after the race, but seeing the difficulties Hamilton had to overcome throughout the race, tried to be more comforting about the whole thing. “Lewis, good to make it to the end, that was a horror race. I can so relate to it, we can all relate to it. At least we have taken the penalty now. Let’s move forward, look forward.” said Wolff (via PlanetF1.com). In a race where the 39-year-old’s teammate George Russell finished at podium, these words were hardly comforting and were given the silent treatment. It was also revealed that Hamilton and Wolff were at odds for the power unit change, but it ultimately came down to the “team’s decision”, which the Mercedes boss tried to explain. “We knew that it was going to be a race of misery because it’s so difficult to overtake in Baku. And that’s what it was. The moment you come closer, you overheat the tyres and then you go backwards and I think this is what happened to him. But lots to learn.” said the Austrian. “There’s two different philosophies, and we discussed it at length. One, you just swallow the pill here, because starting from P7, we don’t know where that would have gone, and then doing it in Austin. But we feel that Austin is an opportunity, and so that was the decision. Right or wrong? I don’t know, it was a close call,” the 52-year-old added. The AMG Petronas won three out of four races before the summer but have failed to find the same form till now. But Toto Wolff believes the new floor in the US Grand Prix, which comes right after Singapore, will improve their performances. Also Read: “It’s going to be one hell of a second half of the season” : Lewis Hamilton has high hopes for the remainder of the year

“Same Saturday as always”: Lewis Hamilton frustrated after poor qualifying session in Baku Lewis Hamilton’s biggest rival this season is not Max Verstappen or George Russell, it is his own failures in qualifying sessions ahead of big races. It was a familiar sight once again as the Briton struggled to make ends meet due to tyre temperature in qualifying. At the Baku City Circuit, he was able to come only seventh on the grid, and this has been a recurring theme in the season at this point.  Hamilton yet again was unable to get ahead of teammate George Russell, who finished at fifth himself. After 2014, this is now just the second time in his F1 career that the 39-year-old has lost to a teammate head-to-head in qualifying. “Honestly, I think it could have been at least second row today” : Lewis Hamilton was disappointed yet again After a tough session for the Silver Arrows duo due to their continuing struggle with tyre temperature and traffic, they will now start the race on Sunday from the third and fourth rows. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc will be starting at pole position and surprisingly, Max Verstappen will not be far from Hamilton, as he finished at sixth. Lewis Hamilton after yet another disappointing qualifying session seemed in no mood for interviews, as he admitted that the team was looking to start at least at the second row. The Briton had a brief analysis on what happened on the circuit. “Same Saturday as always. Same thing that happens every Saturday. Yesterday the car was amazing, felt great. Honestly, I think it could have been at least second row today. Came today, the tyres didn’t work all day,” said the 39-year-old in an interview with Sky Sports. Although the chances of getting pole position on Sunday’s race have been hindered yet again for the Briton, he tried to remain optimistic and believes that the team has a different strategy for tyres than others, which may help him to have a better day. “Qualifying was disappointing as we had a good day yesterday and I thought we could be in the fight for the front two rows. Unfortunately, I was struggling to get the tyres working and that is what it is all about. We will analyse why that was as a team and hopefully make improvements moving forward.” said the Briton (via mercedesamgf1.com) “The aim is to move forward tomorrow, and I am staying positive that we can do so. It is not always easy to progress here, but we have a slightly different tyre strategy to others which may help us. We will also have to look after the tyres as it is easy to suffer with the rears. If we can do so, then hopefully we can have a better day than we had today,” the seven-time world champion added. It would almost be a miracle for Hamilton and co. to pull off pole positions on Sunday and they have just the overnight to prepare on their tactics. But the German team will soon have to figure out their core problems as the season is about to reach its business end. Also Read: “It’s going to be one hell of a second half of the season” : Lewis Hamilton has high hopes for the remainder of the year

“Max was probably a bit out of order in Brazil in truth” : Adrian Newey believes Max Verstappen was lucky to avoid penalty during Lewis Hamilton battle in 2021 In one of the most memorable encounters in the past decade of F1, it was down to Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen to claim the crown of world champion in 2021. Controversies aside, this matchup was historic for many ways, as it began the dominance of the Dutchman and RBR. The Dutchman convincingly began his reign of terror in 2022, and is now a three-time world champion, with signs of clinching his fourth straight championship looking very likely. Although, recently it has been come to knowledge by Red Bull’s CTO, that Verstappen’s first championship could have been a hit or miss, as the 26-year-old showed signs of breaking down that year, much more than he did in his future seasons, courtesy of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes. “Mercedes managed to find quite a lot more pace out of their car towards the end of the season” : Adrian Newey Adrian Newey is a highly influential figure in the world of F1 who is renowned for his aerodynamic efficiency, and has worked with several top teams like McLaren, Williams and currently Red Bull Racing; while he will be switching to Aston Martin next season. The Briton has worked very closely with the Dutchman for the past few seasons, and was asked on the ‘High Performance Podcast’ about whether or not Verstappen was ever unable to hold up his nerves during the races. “I think a little bit perhaps in his championship win in ’21. Where the intensity, particularly after Silverstone, on track, between Lewis and Max became so intense, I think Max had very strong feelings on that Silverstone accident,” said Newey. “And of course, he’d been clear championship leader going into Silverstone, then him out of the race, and then more or less out of the race in Hungary, when he got hit by Valtteri [Bottas], not intentional at all, but still got hit and pretty much hardly scored any points, so gone from easy championship leaders to now feeling a bit more pressure. And Mercedes managed to find quite a lot more pace out of their car towards the end of the season,” the 65-year-old added. The Briton also admitted how Max Verstappen was feeling to get threatened and pressurized by the Silver Arrows’ resurgence late in the season, which led him to make some mistakes, although, was lucky not to receive any major penalties, especially in Brazil where Lewis Hamilton overtook him to win the race. “So, it’s always easier for the hunter than the hunted. And Max was starting, I think, to just feel a little bit of pressure from the hunted. And hence that, he was, in reality, probably lucky not to get a penalty for his driving in Brazil. Saudi, where they had a bit of a dingdong, that was a little bit more… I think that was not clear, but Max was probably a bit out of order in Brazil in truth, so I think he was feeling it a bit,” explained Red Bull’s CTO. While the gap has certainly thinned down a bit in the current F1 season with teams like McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes catching up to Red Bull Racing quicker than before, there seems to be no doubt that Verstappen and RBR will not be giving up their throne that easily. The Dutchman currently holds a 62-point lead over McLaren’s Lando Norris in the Drivers’ standings, and is on his way to claim title no.4 soon. Also Read: “It’s going to be one hell of a second half of the season” : Lewis Hamilton has high hopes for the remainder of the year

“Ferrari is going to be incredibly strong, Lewis is right back on his game” : Former F1 boss predicts possible championship year for Lewis Hamilton Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is all set to replace Carlos Sainz at Scuderia Ferrari, after spending more than a decade with the Silver Arrows. The next season looks to be promising for the Italian team, and Lewis Hamilton has also regained his form back just at the right time. Former F1 boss Eddie Jordan also believes that the timing for Hamilton’s new stint in red is perfect, and that Ferrari are going to be one of the teams to look out for next year.  “Lewis, at the beginning of the year he was without any doubt pretty much focused on joining Ferrari, getting the right people, and making sure that he had Fred Vasseur on board. They will be overjoyed to see the re-emergence of Lewis because no amount of saying to Ferrari, ‘Say look what we’re doing at Mercedes, don’t worry about that, we can beat George, we can beat everyone, we’re going to be powerful,” said the Irishman. “And that Mercedes team is going to be strong going forward, but Ferrari is going to be incredibly strong. Lewis is right back on his game. And he’s now eyeing up a championship fight for next year. And who’s to say that he’s wrong?” the 76-year-old added. Lewis Hamilton is currently tied with another icon of the F1, Michael Schumacher, at seven world titles, and breaking the record in his first season at Maranello would be the ideal dream come true. Meanwhile, Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff wanted Max Verstappen to replace the Briton, but with that not happening in the near future, he went with the low cost and time saving option of talented prospect Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Although, Jordan seems to be having major doubts regarding the German team’s move. “I still believe that there’s a place for Kimi, but it’s not in Mercedes” : Eddie Jordan wants Mercedes to take their time with Kimi Antonelli Pressure would be an understatement for 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli to replace the greatest F1 driver of all time, and it definitely showed when the Italian binned it inside ten minutes of his first official F1 session, that too at home. Many important individuals have claimed that Toto Wolff should have waited for at least another year to bring on the youngster into the main scene, and Jordan cited out the same opinion. “I thought the pressure of Mercedes would be too much for Kimi and his debut, and that’s the way it was; he spun out and caused a lot of damage to the car. I still believe that there’s a place for Kimi, but it’s not in Mercedes; that’s the point I’m trying to make. I don’t care how quick he is; he should be placed somewhere that will give Toto and his team the chance to learn for a year and come up that way,” explained the Irish businessman. Behind the scenes, this controversy might look different; but outside, all of this seems like one big experiment that the Mercedes CEO is hoping for to succeed. After all, time will tell whether or not the young Italian can live up to the hype. Also Read: “It’s going to be one hell of a second half of the season” : Lewis Hamilton has high hopes for the remainder of the year

“I think it was until 2015 that I was really, really able to properly enjoy it” : Lewis Hamilton reveals difficulty during his first win with Mercedes  The soon-to-be Ferrari man has already conquered F1 racing and has also made the sport more popular along the way. When Lewis Hamilton was in McLaren, everyone knew the amount of potential he had, and it was on joining the Silver Arrows where he received the title of the greatest F1 driver of all time. The Briton last won the world championship in 2020, and has since been on an inconsistent journey with Mercedes. Tied with Michael Schumacher at seven world titles, the 39-year-old is still hungry to break the record next year with the Italian team. Talking about world titles, the Mercedes man gave media a surprise headlines by recently revealing in an interview about the difficulty he had enjoying his first championship win with the AMG Petronas in 2014. “It just wasn’t a great time for me” : Lewis Hamilton admits having a hard time in his initial season with Mercedes Lewis Hamilton joined the German team in 2013 in what was deemed as a gamble due to no recent success of theirs. He was also able to reunite with his childhood karting teammate, Nico Rosberg. After just a one victory in 2013 at the Hungarian Grand Prix, 2014 was the defining year for the Briton where he won his second world championship which started his dominance in the sport. In contrast to what was supposed to be a huge and positive victory, the Briton has revealed he did not ‘enjoy’ his first title with the Brackley-based team. Hamilton said that he would have rather faced competition from several other teams than his own teammate. Although, he did admit that it felt sweet to make his doubters wrong. “I was competing with my teammate. He was tough to beat, but in general you would always prefer that you’re competing with several teams. That’s what the sport should be doing. More often than not, that’s not the case, but I’m still grateful for it obviously. I think it was until 2015 that I was really, really able to properly enjoy it,” said the 39-year-old (via podcast ‘Performance People’). “The first one I didn’t enjoy because it was just – I don’t know – it just wasn’t a great time for me. The second [title in 2014] was just like: ‘I made the right decision and I proved everyone wrong. Great, so I can sleep’. But then the next one felt like: ‘OK, we’re here to stay, this is really [going to mean] something’ – because [three titles is] also what Ayrton won,” the Briton added. It must have been hard to admit for the 39-year-old to speak his true feelings, as he is also soon to leave the team where he spent his peak years at. But the Briton still has one last fairytale chapter left in his career to give out to his fans worldwide, as he is set to finally pursue his childhood dream of racing in red. Also Read: “It’s going to be one hell of a second half of the season” : Lewis Hamilton has high hopes for the remainder of the year

“I actually let Lewis past, on team orders. My direct championship rival!” : Nico Rosberg reflects on his time with Mercedes and how Lewis Hamilton was preferred over him Nico Rosberg left Formula 1 on high note, winning the world championship in his final year in 2016. But prior to his final season, the German had to take a backseat and watch Lewis Hamilton on the top for a while, just like all other F1 drivers at that time. The 39-year-old recently appeared on the Sky Sports F1 podcast with Natalie Pinkham, where the topic of the latest controversy involving McLaren partners Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri was being covered. Both the Aussie and the Briton are in direct contention for the drivers’ and constructors’ championships, with Norris the closest to rival Max Verstappen. Due to this, McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has hinted that the team will now back the Briton’s title charge. “We have now to acknowledge that not only the constructors’ championship is possible but – with the performance we have at the moment in the car, and some of the struggle we see with Red Bull – even the drivers’ is definitely possible. If we can achieve both, we need to put the team and Lando in position to pursue both championships. Both drivers are mathematically in condition to do so but Lando is in the best position from a numbers point of view and we are fighting Max Verstappen. So, if we want to give support to one driver, we have to pick the one in the best position,” said the 53-year-old. Nico Rosberg had much to say about this situation, as the German had shared a similar situation in the past with his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton. “You don’t want to see your team mate win a world championship in a car that you knew you could potentially have won it in, as well” : Natalie Pinkham throws a harsh one on Nico Rosberg Nico Rosberg related to the Aussie and revealed how unfair and borderline shameful this decision could turn out to be, as Oscar Piastri is himself doing a great job so far this season.  “It is hard, though, on Oscar because Oscar, in his contract, you will have a number one contract, yeah? It won’t say in his contract that, ‘You need to help Lando’. And Oscar is driving brilliantly also, so he deserves every opportunity, just from his point of view, to get race wins. Plus, let’s also remember mathematically he can still be world champion, so there’s also that. I mean, he’s not that far behind Lando, what is it, 40 points or something? So he’s not that far behind either so it’s a hard ask on Oscar to start forfeiting race wins, potentially,” said the German. Natalie Pinkham replied to the 39-year-old while also taking the opportunity for a dig at him due to the past experiences he has had with teammate Lewis Hamilton at the Silver Arrows. “Absolutely. I mean, you don’t want to see your team-mate win a world championship in a car that you knew you could potentially have won it in as well. I mean, that’s got to be the worst,” Pinkham said in a sly tone. Nico Rosberg agreed to this statement with a smile on his face, which was overshadowing his frustration on the fact that he himself was Lewis Hamilton’s shadow and played second fiddle during his tenure with the AMG Petronas. The two have shared a fierce rivalry together in the past but, post-retirement, the German has made many positive statements about his time with the Briton from 2013 to 2016, which suggests that there will always be a level of mutual respect between them. Also Read: “There are no bad feelings, and there is no betrayal” : Toto Wolff on Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari

“Every race we get closer and closer to the last time I’ll be in a Mercedes” : Lewis Hamilton ’emotional’ after Mercedes confirms his replacement The seven-time world champion has been with the Silver Arrows since 2013, winning six world championships along the way. After confirming his departure to Scuderia Ferrari in early February, the Briton has gone all out to provide one final magic season for the German team, as he has won the British and Belgian Grand Prix this season. As for the AMG Petronas, their ideal replacement for the legendary driver would have been none other than Max Verstappen, but seeing that the Dutchman signed a contract with RBR till 2028, it did not take long for Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff to know the answer of who will replace Lewis Hamilton. “I made up my mind five minutes after Lewis Hamilton told me he was going to Ferrari,” said Toto Wolff following the official announcement of Andrea Kimi Antonelli replacing Hamilton. As part of the Mercedes Junior F1 Team, Kimi Antonelli has never raced in F1 before, and he will be doing so for the first time next season, replacing probably the greatest F1 driver of all time. Clearly, Toto Wolff and co. have a lot of faith in the Italian, giving him the keys to perform at the biggest stage at just 18-years-old.  “I know Kimi is going to do a great job” : Lewis Hamilton confident over the youngster’s abilities With a lot of ups and down throughout the season, the Briton has been on an emotional rollercoaster of a ride due to his departure from Mercedes after spending more than a decade of his career with them. When asked about how it felt to finally have his replacement in the team, Hamilton had an emotional response. “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.” said the 39-year-old (via ESPN). “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.” Hamilton added. The Briton also revealed that he has been trying to do the best he can, knowing his final races with the Silver Arrows are coming closer and closer, and that he is performing at every race like it is his last. “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. 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. 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,” the Briton explained. Although it will be weird to see Hamilton next season in red, the 39-year-old will finally be able to fulfil his childhood dream of dawning the Italian colours, whereas it provides Mercedes the chance to start fresh and move on from old to new in the form of their latest gem, Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Also Read: “There are no bad feelings, and there is no betrayal” : Toto Wolff on Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari