Martin Brundle has delivered his verdi𒁏ct on 🐻Kimi Antonelli’s first F1 session in a Mercedes.

Antonelli crashed just minutes i⛎nto FP1 on Friday - a dreadful start for thꦛe teen driver who is set to replace Lewis Hamilton next season as Mercedes’ new hope.

Toto Wolff reacted🍒 to Antonelli’s crash by insisting his faith remains steadfast in the 18-year-old prodigy.

“Toto isꦍ doin꧙g the only thing he can - to support his man,” Sky Sports’ Brundle said.

“They are not going to get Max Verstappen. It seems that💝 they are going to use Antonelli, who is clearly a big star in the m𓆉aking.

“All they can do is mitigate.

“Sir Jackie Stewart, for many decades, has had an expꦦression🦩: ‘Puppy dogs will wet the carpet!’

“That’s more or less what Toto is saying but in a more🍌 eloquent waಞy.

“Antonelli is lucky that he’s got such an understanding team and boss ar𒊎ound him, and that 💜they believe in him so much.

“Onwards and upwards. He went straight back out to start pumping in F2 ൲times, which was impres✨sive.”

After a routine trip to the medical centre on Friday after his FP1 crash, Antone🍌lli returned to the track 💮for Formula 2 qualifying.

He qualified sixth for F2 ꧅action at Monza thisꦏ weekend.

'Spotlight of F1' warning for Antonelli

Antonelliܫ is expected to be named by Mercedes as the successor to Ferrari-bound H🐓amilton.

Hi൩s entry into Formula 1 will make him the most highly-touted rookie since Ham🤡ilton and Max Verstappen.

“He is, but you never know until they are under the spotlight of F1 when they are measured in eve🃏ry way, every day,” Brundle said.

“It’s like a flower growin🐼g. Sometimes the spotlight makes the flower grow taller, sometimes it wilts them. You never know until they are🎀 in that situation.

“There have been drivers who were sensational in karting and junior racing but got to 🎀F1 then didn’t deliver.

“Where he’s a lucky boy is that he will🐻 parachute into a front-💦running, grand prix-winning, perhaps championship-winning team.

“That means you don’t go through years at the back of the grid, all the shunts, a🉐ll the pressure.”