Kimi Antonelli feels there is no advantage in being a rookie: “That excuse no longer holds”. Being a rookie, according to former driver Karun Chandhok, won’t provide much relief.

The 2025 Formula 1 season will be very different from the one we just witnessed. The competitive balance between teams might not shift significantly, though we hope for some surprises despite it being a transitional year. What will set it apart from 2024 are the lineup changes and new arrivals.

Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari could already generate enough hype for the upcoming championship. But beyond that, fans will also be intrigued by the debut of the fresh F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto with Sauber, Jack Doohan with Alpine, Oliver Bearman with Haas, and, of course, the Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli with Mercedes (and possibly Isack Hadjar, 2024 F2 runner-up, joining Racing Bulls if Red Bull decides to replace Sergio Perez with Liam Lawson).

Among these, the driver under the most pressure will undoubtedly be Bologna-born Antonelli. Kimi is set to take the place of seven-time world champion Hamilton in a top team. This move, strongly backed by Wolff, will require him to prove his worth right away.

Hamilton achieved 12 podiums in his first year with McLaren

Being a rookie, according to former driver Karun Chandhok, won’t provide much relief: “I believe it’s never easy for a newcomer to face their first season in F1. Naturally, starting out with a top-tier team puts Kimi Antonelli under even greater pressure,” he said on the ‘Sky F1’ podcast.

“He is expected to perform at his best right from the start, much like Lewis did at McLaren, when he achieved nine podiums in his first opportunity (in reality, he achieved 12 in 2007, including four victories, editor’s note). Expectations for rookies are always very high. Saying ‘I’m here to learn’ is no longer an acceptable excuse since Verstappen, Leclerc, Russell, and Hamilton before them made their debuts. That excuse no longer holds,” he concluded, as reported by ‘Crash.net.’