The question was posed by an F1 journalist, following the decision by the Mercedes team boss to put a not-so-convincing rookie in the place of outgoing seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Leo Turrini has great confidence in his young compatriot, but at the same time he pointed out an interesting fact:
"Since Giancarlo Fisichella drove for Renault, we haven't had an Italian driver who had a chance of winning a race. That's why I think it's a great thing that Kimi Antonelli can be on the grid with Mercedes in 2025. Let's not forget that Mercedes won four races in 2024. I think we can rightly consider him one of the favorites this season! At the same time, we must not underestimate the fact that this puts even more pressure on Antonelli. He is a very young driver with absolutely zero experience who should immediately replace the legendary Lewis Hamilton. Is it madness or genius? Time will tell...
"I think Antonelli is an extraordinary talent, even though he completely missed out on F3 and has little experience in F2. But everyone I spoke to confirmed: he is a talent that has a place in the F1 field. The rest depends only on Mercedes. Will they give him enough time? Is Toto Wolff a real madman or a genius? Or do they only need him until Max Verstappen is free?" - asked Turrini the big questions.
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