Kimi Antonelli has revealed that he shares a similar driving style to Lewis Hamilton ahead of his step up to Formula 1 with Mercedes in 2025.
The Mercedes protégé will take over the seat that Hamilton occupies as the seven-time F1 champion prepares to complete a tantalising switch to Ferrari next season.
Antonelli, who has taken two victories in his rookie Formula 2 season, made his F1 debut in the opening practice at Monza, where he crashed on his second timed lap.
However, Mercedes announced later that weekend that he would enter the top flight with the German marque in 2025 as the team-mate to incumbent George Russell.
Despite Hamilton’s impending Mercedes exit, Antonelli detailed at the Festival dello Sport in Trento how the Briton has been helping him get ready for his switch to F1.
“I didn’t expect that, he’s very nice and talks to me a lot, and looking at the data, his driving style seems similar to mine,” Antonelli said.
“I was in Singapore and listening to him talk to the engineers – I learned a lot.”
Russell unhappy with Antonelli’s crash
Antonelli divulged that soon-to-be-team-mate Russell was “not happy” with the practice shunt at Monza which cost him valuable track time at the Italian Grand Prix.
But the Italian will be hoping to put that episode behind him as he gears up to make another appearance at an F1 race weekend before his ascent to a full-time seat.
“What I will have to get used to is hearing all the engineers on headphones, because I am one who talks very little,” he explained.
“But if they talk it is to give useful information, I will have to learn the procedures well, if you touch a wrong button it is a mess.
“I will be getting a steering wheel seat at home soon to learn the starts and the various procedures.
“Also because you have to know where each button is without having to look.”
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