MPH: Why Antonelli can't expect to match Hamilton's mega rookie year

Eighteen years ago 22-year-old Lewis Hamilton made his F1 debut in Melbourne. At that moment Kimi Antonelli was seven months old. This weekend they sat together in a press conference as F1 colleagues, 40-year-old Hamilton on the eve of the Ferrari chapter of his long career, 18-year-old Antonelli about to begin his journey.

It seemed to put Hamilton in a ruminative mood. It has all happened so quickly, a racing lifetime devoured in a flash of colours, triumphs, challenges, sadnesses. Racing seasons speed up the passage of time while placing immense strains on the driver, an annealing process which forms the character. Hamilton was reflecting on this and smiling as he observed Antonelli — his replacement — answer the media’s various questions.

“I was smiling as was just looking at this youngster here,” he said, “I’m happy for him… he’s doing so well and conducting himself so well. Taking that first leap, getting that first opportunity to be in Formula 1, it’s so, so special. I know how many years of dedication it will have taken for him. Starting even younger than I did. It’s just exciting to see.”

Although Antonelli has conducted more pre-season F1 mileage even than the rookie Hamilton managed, in many ways he is not as prepared. Those four years between 18 and 22 are crucial ones in terms of personal development. The brain’s frontal cortex has not even fully developed at that younger age. Hamilton also had five seasons in the junior categories of car racing, one more than Antonelli. So it would be unreasonable to expect a Hamilton 2007-level of performance from him through the season. But there will be days when it all clicks and we’ll get a glimpse of the future.

“Looking back to when I was 22 years old, I wasn’t mature,” continues Hamilton. “I obviously had done all the homework in terms of how to drive a car, and I had the natural ability, but I didn’t have a lot of foundation around me. I didn’t have a team around me. It was my dad and my stepmom; she was booking my flights to come out here. They’re here this weekend, so it’s been a long journey with them. But I didn’t have any help with prepping for something like this. It was just deep end everywhere and I drowned many a times. As opposed to now, obviously, when I’m very comfortable in my skin. I know who I am. I know where I’m going. I know what energy and time and effort I need to put in to get there. And obviously when I was 22 I didn’t know that, but what a rollercoaster ride it’s been up until now.”

Their first day of a grand prix weekend in their new roles had their challenges. Neither was on the pace of their respective team-mates. But this first day can be treated as simply a foundation. “We’ve got some work to do on the single lap to find a bit more performance,” said Antonelli, “that is mainly linked to getting the tyres in the right window and something we will focus on improving overnight.”

Hamilton reported how the Ferrari required different inputs to those which are in his muscle memory: “A lot different,” he said. “The car doesn’t feel bad or anything; just requires a different way of driving so adjusting my driving style bit by bit but I’m enjoying driving…  But we’re slowly building and getting faster bit by bit.”

Everyone develops at different rates, of course, different people from different circumstances and Hamilton obviously only has himself as a reference. But there’s hard-earned wisdom behind these thoughts. “It can be a cruel world,” he continues, “and [rookies] just need time. It takes a long time to create diamonds and I just hope that they have time and space to grow and be themselves and not have to conform and not have to rush.”