Ex-F1 driver Karun Chandhok has war💯ned Andrea Kimi Antonelli that he’s “expected to deliver” even if Mercedes aren’t in title contention in 2025.

Antonelli will make his F1 debut with Mercedes, replacing168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: Lewis Hamilton.

The Italian, often referred to as Mercedes' wonderkid, has been dubbed potentially the ‘next 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Max Verstappen’.

Antonelli faces the daunting challenge 🐼of filling the shoes of a seven-time world champion in a top team like Mercedes.

Mercedes may decide focus on 2026 - when the new regulatio𓄧ns are introduced - giving Antonelli less pressure in his rookie season.

However,🌊 Chandꦛhok believes he will still need to perform immediately, regardless of Mercedes’ competitiveness.

“No, I don’t think so. I think whether you’re driving for the team who finished 10th in the championship or the team at the front of the grid. As a rookie 𓆏in F1, there’s nowhere to hide,” Chandhok said on the Sky F1 podcast.

“For Kimi Antonelli, the fact he’s coming in as a rookie but with a top team means you’re expected to deliver, as Lewis was when he arrived at McLaren when he got nine p🐠odiums off the bat. Also Oscar 🌄Piastri, he’s shown in the last two years.

“The expectations on rookies are high. You can’t just be there say🌺ing, ‘I’m here to learn.’ That excuse is gone with the likes of Verstappen, Leclerc, Russell, Lewis before that. These rookies have just raised the bar of expectations.”

Rookies reshuffle the F1 2025 grid

Antonelli isn’t the only rookie joining ☂the F1 grid in 2025.

Oliver 🀅Bearman will make his full-time debut at Haas alongside Est꧂eban Ocon.

Ocon’s replacement is Jack Doohan at 💝Alpine, while Gabriel Bortoleto has been given the nod over Valtteri Bottas at Sauber.

Isack Hadjar could also join that list if Red Bull decide to promote Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda, p♛o🥀tentially opening up a seat at VCARB.

The arrival of several rookies means there will be no Bo♕ttas, Zhou Guanyu, Kevin Magnussen or potentially Sergio Perez on the grid next year.