Author: quyen1

Lewis Hamilton cut a cool figure as he arrived at the paddock on Sunday ahead of crashing out of the Australian Grand Prix after suffering an engine blowout.

The Formula One driver, 39, showed off his toned physique in a white tank top that he tucked into a bold pair of oversized grey trousers.

The seven-time world champion left the top of his wide legged trousers unbuttoned and teamed the ensemble with a pair of chunky black shoes.

He rocked a pair of stylish black sunglasses and accessorised with two beaded necklaces.

During the race at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne Lewis was forced to take an early retirement due to an engine failure on lap 17.

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Lewis Hamilton cut a cool figure as he arrived at the paddock on Sunday ahead of crashing out of the Australian Grand Prix after suffering an engine blowout

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The Formula One driver, 39, showed off his toned physique in a white tank top that he tucked into a bold pair of oversized grey trousers

Lewis is enduring the worst start of his 18-season career: seventh, ninth and DNF. Even in 2009, a poor year, he went: disqualified, seventh and sixth – slightly better.

His Mercedes is short of pace and now unreliable leaving him very frustrated. However, it is his final season with Mercedes, after racing for them for 12 seasons, as he has signed a £40million-plus deal to see out his career at Ferrari.

Lewis was not the only driver to face not finish the Australian GP – in a race won by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz after Max Verstappen‘s hopes of a 10th successive victory went up in smoke.

George Russell caused late drama when he lost it on the last lap, his car smashing the barrier and spinning round as his Mercedes flipped on to its side.

‘I am OK,’ said the Briton.

Nobody could have foretold Verstappen’s misfortune of the brake failure that struck at the start of the 58-lap event. 

He started on pole, but was passed by Sainz, who used his DRS power to seize control of the afternoon 16 days after undergoing appendix surgery.

Verstappen was reporting he had lost his car. Then smoke came out of the back rear of his usually impregnable machine.

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The seven-time world champion left the top of his wide legged trousers unbuttoned and teamed the ensemble with a pair of chunky black shoes

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He rocked a pair of stylish black sunglasses and accessorised with two beaded necklaces

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Lewis was left frustrated during the race as he came to a premature end when the Mercedes man’s engine failed on lap 17

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Carlos Sainz went on to win the Australian Grand Prix after recovering from appendix surgery

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He was given a helping hand when Max Verstappen’s car caught fire and he had to retire

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Lewis’ teammate George Russel suffered late drama as his Mercedes crashed into the barrier on the final lap

He retired at the end of the fourth lap, with flames coming from his stricken machine as he pulled into his pit box.

He was furious to be held in the car while his mechanics attempted a pit stop despite him sitting in the midst of a fire.

He remonstrated with performance director Tom Hart in the garage about this point, seemingly saying: ‘F***ing stupid.’

Verstappen visited the pit wall to give his view. All disappointingly cordial at a team that has mastered warring these last few months.

He changed into his civvies and said: ‘The brake stuck from when the lights went off. The temperatures kept on increasing until the point where it caught on fire.

‘Having one brake caliper on is like driving with the handbrake on. I didn’t know at the time but I could feel the balance in the car was off.’

Of the setback he said: ‘It excites me in a way. I would like to win and we have had many good races in a row and reliability and I knew the day would come where we would retire and unfortunately that day was today.’

Of the 10 wins in a row that he nearly achieved, the Dutchman added: ‘I’m not interested in records. I just want to win. If it is 11 in a row or it isn’t, it doesn’t matter. The championship is the most important thing.

Russell nearly finished seventh before his final-lap crash, with the Ferraris taking a one-two win with Charles Leclerc second and Lando Norris third for McLaren.

George Russell suffers crash on last lap of Australian Grand Prix

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Ferrari took a one-two win with Charles Leclerc second and Lando Norris (left) third for McLaren (pictured with Carlos Sainz)

Max Verstappen insisted ‘s*** happens’ after the triple world champion suffered his first retirement from a race in two years at the Australian Grand Prix.

The Dutchman started from pole but was overtaken by the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz in the early laps.

Shortly afterwards smoke started to come from the rear of Verstappen’s Red Bull, resulting in the Dutchman slowly making his way back to the pits to retire from a race for the first time in two years.

This allowed Ferrari to take full advantage as Sainz took the chequered flag first from team-mate Charles Leclerc – with the latter now four points behind Verstappen in the standings.

After the race, Verstappen said: ‘S*** happens. It is important that we understand why it happened and make sure that it doesn’t happen again.’

Max Verstappen retired from the Australian Grand Prix from second with a brake issue

Verstappen noticed the issue at the start of the race and he was overtaken by Carlos Sainz before retiring shortly after

Verstappen could have matched his own record of ten straight wins if he finished first in Melbourne

Explaining the cause of his retirement, he added: ‘We could see in the data as soon as lights went off, the right rear brake just stuck on.

‘The temperature just kept on increasing, it was basically driving with the handbrake on. I already felt car was really weird to drive in some corners. Very snappy.

‘While [during] the laps to the grid, the car was really spot on. I was very happy with what we were doing. But that explains if brake was stuck on, that doesn’t help.

‘We had a lot of good races in a row, a lot of basically good reliability and I knew the day would come that you end up having a retirement and unfortunately that day was today.’

Verstappen’s last retirement came courtesy of a fuel leak at the 2022 Australian Grand Prix.

Since then he and Red Bull have been faultless as they have dominated the last two championships.

That domination carried over to the start of this season with back-to-back victories.

If he had taken victory in Melbourne, he would have matched his own personal record of ten straight wins.

Ferrari took full advantage with Carlos Sainz winning the race from team-mate Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris

However, Ferrari have appeared to close the gap somewhat, with Sergio Perez – who finished fifth – insisting Red Bull would not have won the race even if Verstappen had carried on.

There were a number of other notable retirements with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell also failing to finish at Melbourne.

It was the first time that neither Hamilton or Verstappen finished a race since they collided at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.

It may have been a day of grey skies and drizzle in Suzuka but for Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes there was at last a ray of sunshine in what has been the very gloomiest of seasons.

With Hamilton sat on a paltry eight points after the first three races of the 2024 season and his team already trailing Red Bull by 71 points in the constructors’ standings after a double DNF two weeks ago in Australia, hopes were not especially high for the Silver Arrows heading to Japan.

The test that this famous circuit brings with its iconic, high-speed corners does not suit their machine. The cynics out there may argue it would be hard to find a circuit that does currently.

Though Hamilton has won five times around Suzuka – a record only bettered by the great Michael Schumacher – there is only so much even one of the finest drivers of this generation can extract from a car that he admitted ‘messes with the mind’ just a fortnight ago.

Hamilton has cut a frustrated and somewhat bewildered figure at times this season. He has looked like someone for whom a fresh start, which he has with Ferrari from next season, can’t come soon enough.

Lewis Hamilton revealed he was pleased with his car’s performance in Practice One in Suzuka

The 39-year-old has endured a difficult start to what will be his final campaign with Mercedes

Hamilton said the Mercedes felt the best it has all season in the first practice session in Japan

But finally there was a day to lift the spirits and inspire some hope that this won’t be a tiresome swansong for the Brit after all.

‘It was a really good session, the best the car has felt this year,’ said the 39-year-old, who was fifth quickest on Friday with both he and team-mate George Russell, who was fourth, just under half-a-second behind pacesetter Max Verstappen.

‘It felt really positive. I was excited, because this is a circuit every driver loves to drive and the last couple of years we’ve had a really difficult car and balance to drive here.

‘And given the difficult last few races we’ve had, great work has been done and we seem to have hit the ground in a sweeter spot so I haven’t really made any changes.’

The wet weather rendered Friday’s second practice session all but useless with the lack of laps run making it nigh-on impossible to assess whether the signs are as ominous as they look at a glance for the rest of the field after Verstappen topped the timesheets.

Meanwhile Max Verstappen topped the practice standings as he looks to secure victory on Sunday

It is fair to say, though, that his rivals will likely be praying for a reliability issue similar to the one that prematurely ended his race in Melbourne to rear its head once again if they are to stand any chance of muscling the Dutchman off the top step of the podium come Sunday.

But the man himself isn’t quite so sure, despite winning last year’s Japanese Grand Prix by 19 seconds.

Verstappen, who is running significant aerodynamic upgrades on his car for the first time this weekend, said: ‘It was a good start for us. The balance wasn’t too far out but it does look like everyone is a bit closer compared to last year. I don’t expect gaps to be like last year.’

Sebastian Vettel’s deeds stand for themselves. He has won as many championships as Alain Prost – four. Only Juan Manuel Fangio (five) and the seven-time wonders of this world have claimed more than the great Argentine: Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.

This places Vettel in the very highest rank of drivers ever known.

On a personal level, I like Seb. I first knew him when he was arriving on the Formula One scene. A colleague and I were having dinner at BMW Sauber’s motorhome and he came scampering over. A devotee of English humour, not least of Only Fools and Horses he was most amused by a new word he had heard: ‘kerfuffle’.

It had come over his radio from the pit wall, and he was fascinated by it.

Further, and far more importantly, he spoke brilliantly, movingly and eruditely many years later at a tribute at Silverstone to the memory of respected race director Charlie Whiting, who had died suddenly at the Australian Grand Prix, in 2019. Seb was a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association at this point, and none of his contemporaries could have delivered a eulogy in a second language as eloquently about Charlie as Seb did that evening.

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel enjoyed a distinguished career during his 15 years in Formula One

Not only is the German one of the greatest drivers of all time, but he is one of the sport’s most cherished personalities

He was as smart as he was genuine, too. No driver of the modern era was as friendly with Bernie Ecclestone, then the biggest figure in the whole sport. They played backgammon together. Bernie usually won. Their relationship was obviously warm, and I believe it remains so.

So having told you how much I like Seb, I don’t for a moment believe he should join Mercedes as Hamilton’s replacement next season. A further caveat, his talent as a wonderfully fast driver, especially when a front-runner, is not in doubt. But he drifted into an ordinary standard in the his last years at Ferrari and Aston Martin, mistakes abounding.

He retired in 2022, aged 35, harangued in his own mind about the green implications of his globe-trotting sport. ‘Climate Justice Now’, he wore on his T-shirt. He was worried about the planet, yet he went on to the end of the season.

I sent him up for his delay, a cake-and-eat-it paradox. For his part, he said he drove to races rather than flew where applicable to save us all from oblivion.

Mercedes have courted him for years. I reported how Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, had attended Vettel’s 30th-birthday party in Switzerland. Mercedes tried to get me sacked for this. True. They said I didn’t know what I was talking about. I said I had the story from a Mercedes source. They cried ‘lies’. Now he is sadly dead, I can reveal that I got the information from Niki Lauda, no less, and he was the non-executive chairman of Mercedes at the time.

Hamilton has welcomed Vettel’s interest in joining, explored this week in his interview with Sky.

Hamilton would. He knows that Vettel, whose championship-winning salad days were at Red Bull between 2010 and 2013 (including nine consecutive wins), would be no threat to his legacy, his friend’s talent having waned. No question. Fourteen wins during his six years at Ferrari was a meagre return, really. His nadir was binning it in Hockenheim in 2018 while leading his home race. He moved to Aston Martin, his powers declining.

But Vettel stepped away from the sport in 2022 citing concerns of the F1’s impact on climate change

A return to racing with Mercedes would ultimately not prove to be a wise move for Vettel

He was no longer at the peak of his powers when he retired, and Mercedes would be better served looking to the future as they attempt to replace Lewis Hamilton

The point is that he has left Formula One for a reason – he was done with it. He now says (and I cite his Sky interview) he misses the competition, but not enough to have walked out on the sport to start with.

As for Mercedes’ future, they need rejuvenation, not a figure from the past. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, winner in Melbourne only a fortnight ago, is, I think, a far more alluring prospect to partner George Russell next season and beyond.

Vettel, too, would grow annoyed by what is going to be a long game of rebuilding at the Silver Arrows. He is 37, a great chap, but retirement with his wife and three kids is where he should remain. A new beginning at Mercedes would work for neither side.

After the disappointment of an early retirement in Australia last time out, it’s fair to say Max Verstappen has got the bit back between his teeth again.

The Red Bull driver looked back to his imperious best in Suzuka, qualifying on pole for tomorrow’s Japanese Grand Prix ahead of team-mate Sergio Perez in second and Lando Norris in third.

Both Verstappen and Perez had complained about their cars during Saturday’s third practice but were still able to produce times that put them well clear of the rest of the field when it counted.

Even after securing a fourth consecutive pole of the season, Verstappen was left underwhelmed by his own performance. ‘Not bad… not bad. We need a better lap, but it doesn’t matter,’ said the Dutchman.

He may not have been at his best but it still looks as though it will take something extraordinary for anyone other than a Red Bull driver to claim victory tomorrow.

Max Verstappen secured pole position in Japan ahead of Sergio Perez and Lando Norris

Mercedes had a difficult qualifying session, with Lewis Hamilton finishing seventh and George Russell in ninth

Lando Norris did well to steer his McLaren to third place, sharing the second row with Carlos Sainz

Verstappen, in particular, looks to be in a class of his own in the third and final sector of this demanding track.

Charles Leclerc, Verstappen’s closest title rival, was warring with his own team over their strategy in third practice and was left feeling equally frustrated by the end of qualifying.

The Ferrari driver was only eighth-fastest and his reaction afterwards suggested he had nothing more to give. ‘That’s the best I can do. Honestly, I don’t get it,’ said a baffled Leclerc.

It was a happy return to Suzuka for McLaren’s Norris, who finished second around this historic track last season and will start on the second row as he goes in search of a maiden Grand Prix victory.

Fellow Brits Lewis Hamilton and George Russell lagged behind, qualifying seventh and ninth respectively for Mercedes.

Yuki Tsunoda managed to secure P10 as he targets a high finish at his home race

Fans were out in full force to catch a glimpse of their favourite stars as F1 graced Suzuka once again

Charles Leclerc only qualified in eighth but Frederic Vasseur insisted he was not worried

Full qualifying classification

1) Max Verstappen – Red Bull

2) Sergio Perez – Red Bull

3) Lando Norris – McLaren

4) Carlos Sainz – Ferrari

5) Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin

6) Oscar Piastri – McLaren

7) Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes

8) Charles Leclerc – Ferrari

9) George Russell – Mercedes

10) Yuki Tsunoda – RB

11) Daniel Ricciardo – RB

12) Nico Hulkenberg – Haas

13) Valtteri Bottas – Sauber

14) Alexander Albon – Williams

15) Esteban Ocon – Alpine

16) Lance Stroll – Aston Martin

17) Pierre Gasly – Alpine

18) Kevin Magnussen – Haas

19) Logan Sargeant – Williams

20) Zhou Guanyu – Sauber

Max Verstappen admitted it would be ‘strange’ if Red Bull recruit Fernando Alonso as a driver after the Spaniard was tipped for a potential move to the Austrian superpower for next season.

At 42-years-old, Alonso is the oldest driver on the grid, but his stellar exploits at Aston Martin since moving to the team last year have put him in a strong position for one of the biggest seats on the grid.

Sergio Perez currently holds the position as the Belgian’s team-mate, but is under pressure to perform after a difficult season that saw him finish second in the championship standings but 290 points behind Verstappen, who secured a third consecutive title.

The Mexican helped his cause by finishing second behind Verstappen in qualifying for Sunday’s Japan Grand Prix, with Alonso set to start fourth on the grid.

An outspoken Verstappen insisted he ‘doesn’t care’ which driver partners him at Red Bull, but expressed concern over bringing in a driver of Alonso’s age.

Max Verstappen admitted it would be ‘strange’ if Red Bull recruit Fernando Alonso

42-year-old Alonso has been linked with a potential move to join Red Bull next season

Alonso has largely impressed since joining Aston Martin last year after leaving Alpine

‘I don’t care who sits next to me. I also said that to the team,’ the three-time F1 champion told De Limburger.

‘I always believe in myself and in my opinion I am the boss of everyone. But if you ask me, I would find it strange to sign a 42-year-old driver.

‘Red Bull has always had the tradition of training young drivers itself. Signing Sergio Perez was a departure from that trend, especially with a 42-year-old driver.

‘I can get along with Fernando – that’s not it. But I also look at the future of the team. Ultimately it is up to them to determine who drives where,’ he added.

Meanwhile, Verstappen’s future at Red Bull has also been under consideration with Mercedes searching for a replacement for Lewis Hamilton, with the British ace joining Ferrari at the end of the year.

Verstappen admitted he ‘doesn’t care’ who partners him at Red Bull despite Sergio Perez currently driving alongside him

Alonso and Verstappen have shared various podiums throughout the past 12 months

The saga at Red Bull involving team principal Christian Horner has engulfed the team and the sport, with Mercedes chief team principal Toto Wolff publicly declaring Verstappen could have the seat if he wants it.

Commenting on the proposal of moving to one of Red Bull’s rivals, Verstappen said: ‘I understand why [Wolff] does it – he can’t ignore me. In the past, even before Red Bull, we had discussions with Mercedes.

‘Then they said, ‘You have to do this and that to become successful’. I think I have now shown how it should be done. They want me in that car, I understand that.

‘Look – a few years ago there was of course a little more tension between us and Mercedes… Mercedes does not have the fastest car at the moment. That really is the Red Bull,’ he said.

Max Verstappen paid tribute to his unstoppable car as Red Bull’s reigning champion returned to winning ways in Japan.

Verstappen brushed off the stoppage that was caused on lap one by a crash between Daniel Ricciardo and Alex Albon, which brought out the red flag for half an hour, to cruise to victory at the Japanese Grand Prix for a third year in a row.

In doing so, the triple world champion consigned the disappointment of his early retirement at the Australian Grand Prix to the history books.

 

‘It was a very, very good win,’ said the Dutchman, who has a 13-point lead over team-mate Sergio Perez at the top of the drivers’ standings.

‘After the first stint some tiny adjustments were made to the car and that helped me to feel even more comfortable.

Max Verstappen has won the Japanese Grand Prix with team-mate Sergio Perez in second

The race saw an early delay after Alex Albon and Daniel Ricciardo made a mess of the tyre wall in the opening lap

Verstappen bounced back brilliantly from a disappointing display in Melbourne last time out

‘Whenever I needed to go faster, I could. Whenever I needed to look after my tyres, I could. That’s always a very nice feeling when you’re driving.’

Perez came home second, securing a third one-two finish in four races for Red Bull this season, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz completing the podium ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris in fifth.

It was another difficult weekend for Mercedes, with George Russell finishing seventh and Lewis Hamilton ninth. Beleaguered team boss Toto Wolff suggested after the race that no one will be able to catch Verstappen this year. The man himself, though, gave short shrift to those niceties.

‘Lately, Toto has been really nice, saying a lot of nice things about me!’ joked the 26-year-old in response to the comments from Wolff, who has a seat to fill for the 2025 season and has openly teased the possibility of joining forces with Verstappen.

Carlos Sainz finished third in his Ferrari after a dramatic win in Melbourne last time out

The Ferraris and McLarens played out a fascinating game of cat-and-mouse on Sunday

Lewis Hamilton again endured a difficult outing for Mercedes, coming home in ninth, two places behind George Russell

‘No, I don’t know. It’s still a very long season. I don’t want to think about the rest of the season too much. I really want to approach it race by race.’

Meanwhile, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner confirmed Mail Sport’s story that his former PA is back working for him on a temporary basis following the fall-out of an internal investigation which saw a female employee suspended from her job.

The employee concerned has appealed against the outcome of the inquiry, which cleared Horner of inappropriate behaviour three days before the start of the new season. He has always denied the claims.

Horner said: ‘I’m surprised I’m talking about my assistant in a briefing but yes, my assistant of 15 years is in a temporary supporting position.’

Daniel Ricciardo‘s season has gone from bad to worse after the under-fire RB driver crashed out of the Japanese Grand Prix.

Ricciardo, 34, collided with Alex Albon just after the first corner of the opening lap of the race, sending himself and the British driver hurtling into the crash barriers.

The severity of the crash saw the stewards wave red flags and the race was restarted once the mess was cleared up. Neither driver was seriously injured.

Max Verstappen went on to win the race and opined that Ricciardo was pre-occupied with Lance Stroll on his left, meaning he failed to spot Albon to his right.

‘You could see Daniel checking the left side,’ Verstappen said. ‘It’s pretty unfortunate.’

Daniel Ricciardo crashed out of the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday

The Australian’s season has not got started after a sluggish opening four races

‘He [Albon] is in his blind spot,’ added Sergio Perez.

Sky F1’s Anthony Davidson said: ‘I think Ricciardo reacts to Stroll on his lefthand side. That’s unfortunate. It wasn’t Albon’s fault and it wasn’t Ricciardo’s.

‘Ricciardo is going for the racing line and three into one doesn’t really go. It’s a racing incident and wrong place, wrong time for Albon.’

‘Ricciardo was looking to his left and more concerned about a car coming up to his left, so that’s why he wasn’t aware of Albon,’ added Bernie Collins.

Ricciardo, desperate to win back his seat at the all-conquering Red Bull in 2025, has made a dismal start to his campaign.

The Australian has finished outside the points in all four races thus far, and has been outperformed by teammate Yuki Tsunoda – who finished 10th at his home Grand Prix.

Prior to Sunday’s race, Ricciardo insisted he remained upbeat about the season ahead.

‘It’s funny because, on paper, it hasn’t been good — and I know obviously as well that the results haven’t been what I wanted,’ he told reporters on Thursday.

‘But personally, the confidence and the happiness and all of that is really unchanged, so it’s really just a matter now of getting a result and kind of putting a few things to rest.

‘The place I’m in personally, I feel really good and that’s why it’s probably been a little bit weird to comprehend why the result hasn’t happened yet.

Ricciardo had to watch on as teammate Yuki Tsunoda scored points

‘It’s been three races, but I know that I don’t need to change anything, it’ll come. It’s just a little bit here and there.

‘Whatever is maybe just missing at the moment will click, and I think it’s one weekend away from that.

‘Even in Melbourne (at the Australian GP) where I was disappointed on paper with the weekend, of course, (after finishing 12th) and not getting points, when we kind of analyse the race, it wasn’t as sad as it probably looked.

‘We had good race pace, there are some good things that we’re taking about, and we just need to put it together now. And that I will do.

‘I said I would in Melbourne – and I fell short. But I will do it this weekend.’

Mercedes were thrown a complete curveball at the start of this year’s Formula One calendar when seven time World Champion Lewis Hamilton announced he would be leaving for Ferrari in 2025.

Since then, rumours have been swirling about who Mercedes may opt to bring in to fill such big boots. 

Whilst many have put Lando Norris, Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz as the front-runners to fill the gap left by Sir Lewis Hamilton.

There is one person flying under the radar who may nip the seat from all of those veteran drivers.

The man in question is Mercedes’ 17-year-old protege who currently drives alongside Ferrari’s own wonder kid Oliver Bearman with the Formula 2 team Prema.

The F1 World was left shocked earlier this year when Lewis Hamilton announced he would be leaving Mercedes after 11 years for Ferrari

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has confirmed Andrea Kimi Antonelli will test Mercedes’ 2021 car later this month

The 17-year-old in question is Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who currently races for Italian motorsport outfit Prema Racing in Formula Two alongside Oliver Bearman – who made his Formula One debut in the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix last month as he replaced Carlos Sainz at Ferrari after the Spaniard underwent emergency surgery.

Antonelli is set to be handed his first experience in an Formula One car later this month as Mercedes look to prepare the the young Italian driver for a potential seat next year.

‘We want to give him the feeling of what a really good car looks like. And then we are going to put him in the 2022 car to see what the difference is,’ Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff told F1 TV at the Japanese Grand Prix on Friday.

‘Mercedes claimed the constructors’ title with the F1 W12, while its successor only won one grand prix and the team slipped to third in the constructors’ standings.

‘I’m really keen and happy to see [Antonelli] in a F1 car. He’s been with us since he was 11.

‘I have a picture of him standing next to me on the center console as a baby boy in go karting and now to witness that development into a F1 driver is something that I’m really proud of.”

Antonelli will drive the Mercedes W12 – which Lewis Hamilton drove during the 2021 season where he infamously lost the chance to claim his 8th World Championship to Max Verstappen.

The two-day test will take place in Imola on April 16 and 17, with the teenager the looking to acclimatise himself to a F1 car as he aims to impress Mercedes and potentially earn Hamilton’s seat next year.

Here, Mail Sport dives into the latest motorsport prodigy.

Antonelli has been linked with filling Hamilton’s Mercedes seat in 2025, despite being just 17 years old

The Italian has been likened to current World Champion Max Verstappen, who won a seat in F1 aged just 19

Antonelli’s meteoric rise through the ranks

Antonelli was born in Bologna, Italy on August 25, 2006.

Aged just seven, he began his journey in karting which would eventually lead him to where he is today.

During his youth karting days Antonelli won a number of races including the South Garda Winter Cup, ROK Cup International Fina, WSK Euro Series and the WSK Super Master Series.

In 2019 he joined Mercedes Junior Programme off the back of his various titles and wins in the junior categories.

Wolff has long sung praise for the young Italian and signed him to the Mercedes Junior Programme in 2019

Antonelli is currently racing for Formula Two’s race team Prema

Two years later Antonelli made his single-seated debut in the fifth round of the 2021 Italian Formula 4 Championship, driving for Prema weeks after his 15th birthday.

In his debut race at the Red Bull Ring in Austria he scored four points was named the best rookie on the grid over the weekend.

Antonelli eventually moved up to Formula 4 on a full-time basis in 2022, storming to the ADAC and Italian titles in spectacular fashion with Prema after winning twice at Misano and three races at Spa-Francorchamps and Vallelunga respectively.

The teenager also won at the Red Bull Ring and triumphed at Monza, before securing the title by winning Race 1 at Mugello.

The following year, he moved to Formula Regional as a 16-year-old, winning the Middle East Championship with Mumbai Falcons and the European Championship with Prema.

Likened to a young Max Verstappen, Antonelli would emulate the three-time world champion if he were to secure a seat in Formula One before turning 20.

Verstappen famously made his debut in motorsport’s premier class aged 17 years and 166 days at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix, become the youngest driver in Formula One’s history.

Motorsport runs in the family

Antonelli credits his father Marco for getting him involved in karting and race car driving.

The Mercedes prodigy’s father was also a racing diver and is currently the owner of the AKM Motorsport group that races in the Italian Formula 4 Championship.

Thanks to his father, Antonelli also shares his middle name with former Formula One star Kimi Raikkonen, the last driver to win the world title with Ferrari back in 2007.

The 17-year-old Italian driver credits his father for getting him involved in karting and race driving

Kimi’s father Marco Antonelli is also a racing driver and he currently owns the AKM motorsport outfit in the Italian F4 championship

Antonelli’s impressive track record

2024: F2 driver – Prema Racing and Mercedes Junior Team Driver

2023: Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine – Champion Formula Regional Middle East Championship certified by FIA – Champion

2022: Italian Formula 4 Championship – Champion ADAC Formula 4 Germany – Champion F4 United Arab Emirates Championship powered by Abarth – 8th (8 races)

2021: Italian Formula 4 Championship – 10th (9 races) FIA Central European Zone Formula 4 – 9th (2 races) Abu Dhabi Grand Prix F4 UAE Trophy Race – 3rd

2019: Mercedes Junior Team Driver

2014-21: Karting

Lewis Hamilton stormed out of an interview in the paddock following his ninth-place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion’s struggles continued as he picked up just two points, as his worst ever start to a Formula One season continued.

Mercedes opted for a bold tyre strategy following the early red flag from Alex Albon and Daniel Ricciardo’s crash, as both Hamilton and George Russell attempted a one-stop strategy after the restart.

They switched back to two-stops after Hamilton sharply insisted over the team radio: ‘Change the strategy.’

After the race, a reporter asked if he was jealous of Ferrari – the team he will drive for next year – after they finished third and fourth with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.

Lewis Hamilton walked away from an interview after he was asked whether he was ‘jealous’ over the speed of Ferrari – the team that he will be joining in the 2025 season

Hamilton’s worst ever start to a season continued with a ninth-place finish in Japan

Ferrari have finished on the podium in all four races with Carlos Sainz (pictured) taking third in Japan after his victory in Australia

Hamilton was not impressed with the question as he retorted: ‘Do you have any better questions?’

The reporter apologised but before they could ask a further question, Hamilton walked away and his press officer simply said: ‘Thank you.’

In an another interview, Hamilton revealed that he suffered damage after the restart following contact with Leclerc.

He said: ‘The car is never what I hoped it would be. It’s never what we hoped it would be.

‘I got some damage I think in the first stint at the restart with Charles [Leclerc] and I had massive understeer, like huge, huge understeer.

‘So that’s why I decided to let George [Russell] by, because he seemed quicker and I just couldn’t turn the car.

 ‘It took us two stints to finally dial more and more wing in to make up for that loss. Last stint, I was better, but it was too late, I had 10 seconds to regain.’

Hamilton struggled during the race and had to let team-mate George Russell through

Russell didn’t fare much better, though he capitalised on a late mistake from Oscar Piastri to snatch P7 on the final lap of the race.

Hamilton has won six of his seven championships at Mercedes, but has not won a race since the 2021 season.

His P9 finish maintains his worst ever start to a season with just ten points in four races – 67 off championship leader Max Verstappen.