‘Absolutely furious’ and ‘surreal’ were Lewis Hamilton’s words on his final trip to Monza as a Mercedes driver.
A year from now, the seven-time world champion will be wearing the red jersey of Ferrari, his place at the Silver Arrows having been taken by Kimi Antonelli, an 18-year-old Italian who was confirmed as his replacement on Saturday.
The Formula Two driver described Hamilton as ‘irreplaceable’ as he was unveiled with much fanfare and ceremony. He was confident and his English was impeccable, even if he was a little embarrassed by the over-excitement that saw him crash into George Russell’s Mercedes in Friday practice.
That was not the script and Russell took time to recover before taking over driving duties and finishing third behind the two McLarens.
Hamilton, for his part, only clocked the sixth fastest time. ‘I’m angry, really angry,’ said the 39-year-old. ‘I expected to do better than I did. I could have been on pole or at least on the front row.
‘For me, it’s ridiculous and completely unacceptable. I have no one to blame but myself.
‘Qualifying has been my weak point for a while and I can’t understand that. ‘I’m going to keep working. I have to find a way to get back to my old self.
‘The chance to win is gone. I’ll probably blame myself for the next few hours, but I have to move forward.’
A lot of thoughts ran through Hamilton’s mind after 12 years and six world titles at Mercedes.
‘The car feels much better than last race and the team deserved better,’ he added. ‘Maybe they can get it with Kimi.
‘I knew his signing would be announced this morning, but it was unbelievable to see my seat officially taken. It was emotional, but I’m delighted for Kimi and the team.’
Antonelli, who joined Mercedes’ youth programme at the age of 11, has only signed a one-year deal.
Boss Toto Wolff said the Russell-Antonelli pairing represented the future of his team, adding that he knew he would sign the youngster ‘five minutes’ after Hamilton told him he was joining Ferrari from 2025.
However, Verstappen remains on everyone’s radar for 2026 and the new combination could be in contention to partner the Dutchman.
