Helmut Marko believes Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be successful in Formula 1 – but it’s still much too early to talk about the “Max Verstappen of Mercedes”
“I was impressed by his speed,” admits Helmut Marko, in an exclusive interview about Mercedes talent Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s first official Formula 1 minutes in his FT1 appearance for the Silver Arrows at Monza.
Antonelli crashed into the wall after just ten minutes, but until then he showed a speed that also convinced Marko. A day later, Mercedes officially confirmed Antonelli as the successor to Lewis Hamilton from 2025.
When asked whether Antonelli, who will be just 18 years old when he makes his Formula 1 debut, is now Mercedes’ Max Verstappen, Marko gives a more cautious answer, emphasizing: “Max is Max. He has to prove that first.”
There are parallels between the two. Verstappen once came directly from Formula 3 to Formula 1, while Antonelli skipped Formula 3 and went straight to Formula 2 this year – and next year to the top tier.
Marko: Talent alone is no guarantee
Even Marko himself had “of course” had Antonelli, who joined the Mercedes junior program in 2019 at the age of just twelve, on his radar. “But you can’t have them all,” grins the Austrian.
He also emphasizes that talent alone is not enough to have a great career. Even if a driver performs outstandingly at a young age, it is “still risky” to bring them up to Formula 1 level, says Marko.
The 81-year-old, who promoted Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, among others, explains: “There’s a driver like that who then loses motivation, gets a girlfriend or loses his grip. It’s all happened before.”
Therefore, it is “by no means guaranteed” that a great talent will also celebrate great successes, “and Antonelli now has to get results,” emphasizes Marko, who, however, basically likes the fact that Mercedes is giving the Italian a direct chance in the factory team.
Marko: “You have to give the young ones a chance”
In his column for Speedweek, he writes: “The GP outings of Oliver Bearman and especially Franco Colapinto have shown that the young are ready for the promotion and that the old philosophy of some team bosses, that you can only promote drivers with three or four years of experience to a top team, is outdated.”
“Mercedes has now also proved this with their decision on the driver [Antonelli], just as Red Bull Racing has done several times in the past,” he recalls, and therefore makes it clear: ‘So you can bet on youth.’
“It’s a certain risk, but it’s manageable and worth it. You have to give young people a chance to prove themselves in a GP car after they’ve climbed the junior ladder,” emphasizes Marko.
The main problem, by the way, is that the road to Formula One is “unfortunately far too expensive”. “It starts with the kart and continues through all classes. The FIA should start there and see how it can get a grip on the costs,” demands Marko.