Lewis Hamilton sends Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli a heart-warming message of support following the 2025 Belgian GP, as the seven-time world champion tries to lift up the teenager amid his challenging run of form.
The 18-year-old rookie claimed his maiden podium in the sport in Canada but it came in the middle of what has been a rough run of form in the ongoing Formula 1 season, that has seen him DNF four times, with his two other finishes being just 18th and 16th.
With results hard to come by and his contract still not secure with the Silver Arrows, the pressure appears to be mounting on the youngster, at least from an introspective point of view, against a very tough benchmark in the form of George Russell.
When he appeared before the media following Saturday’s qualifying session, it seemed as though the Italian’s positive and chirpy attitude was nowhere in sight and as though he had been fighting back tears – a sign of the mental demand of professional sports.
So in a bid to try to lift up Antonelli, Hamilton, who has been through the highs and lows of F1 countless times before, sends a heart-warming message to his much younger peer and assures him Mercedes is the right team to help him find form after the 2025 Belgian GP.
“I can’t imagine what it’s like to be doing what he’s doing [at 18],” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1. “I think he’s been doing fantastic.
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“To be thrown in the deep end at 18 is, he didn’t even had his driving license when he first started racing so.
“I think it’s a lot on someone’s shoulders and I think he’s doing a great job. And he’s got a great group of people around him.
“He’s got Bono [Peter Bonnington, race engineer] by his side, he couldn’t have had anyone better.”
Hamilton battles back at Belgian GP on Sunday
As mentioned, Hamilton himself knows what it’s like to go through the ups and downs of professional motorsport and the weekend at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps appeared to be one of the lowest in recent memory.
A spin in Sprint Qualifying after locking the rear axles saw him eliminated in SQ1 and he could only recover to 15th. Then a track limits mistake a day later relegated him to 16th, before Ferrari opted for a pit lane start to break parc ferme and take a new engine.
However, this only seemed to motivate the 40-year-old and when the race finally got underway he proved to be exceptionally punchy as he boldly made overtakes around a torrential circuit to climb up to 13th in a matter of laps.
An excellent decision to pit for medium tyres then gave him an extra six places before lift-and-coast instructions to manage fuel concerns ensured he couldn’t overtake Alex Albon’s Williams for sixth.
His effort was reminiscent of the driver who dominated the sport from 2014-2020, and the man who Ferrari expect him to be after their stunning move to sign him in February 2024. Can he keep it up into the Hungarian GP from August 1-3?
