Lewis Hamilton Sends Strong Warning to F1 Rookies Ahead of 2025 Season

Alex Harrington | 3 Hours Ago

Nov 23, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Mercedes AMG Petronas driver Lewis Hamilton (44) is introduced before the Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Lewis Hamilton has delivered a poignant warning to the fresh faces joining the 2025 F1 season. Among them are Kimi Antonelli, Jack Doohan, Oliver Bearman, and Gabriel Bortoleto. As these young drivers stand on the brink of their racing careers, Hamilton offers guidance, drawing from his wealth of experience in the sport. Speaking from a position of authority, he outlined what F1 can become to a rookie.

When Hamilton burst onto the F1 scene at 22, he faced a steep learning curve under the scrutiny of global fans and media.

“I remember when I was 22 and you're thrown in a deep end. You've been given training as a young driver through the younger series, but you're not most of them. Probably don't have a PR person." This lack of personal PR support, compounded by team PR's agenda primarily favoring the team's image rather than individual drivers, placed him and other young drivers in challenging positions. “The team will have a PR person, but they're not looking out for you. They're looking out for the team," Hamilton elaboratesd.

Drawing parallels to his own experiences, Hamilton's message to the 2025 rookies is clear: take charge of your narrative and don't become overwhelmed by external pressures. He advises against following every instruction blindly, prompting them to “ask lots of questions, take your time."

Additionally, with the ever-growing influence of social media, Hamilton stresses staying away from its negativity. “Don't let the negativity get to you because, you know, people are so negative nowadays judging you non-stop. So stay off social media and keep your family and your closest friends close to you because they are the only ones that are your true friends," he advises.

Mistakes are inevitable at such a formative age. "It's just that when you do it in the spotlight, it's really, really, really tough. And so we should be lifting these people up and giving them not just one chance, two chances, just continue to support them and just not slating them because that's just not nice," he said.

George Russell, ready to share the Mercedes paddock with rookie Antonelli, echoes Hamilton's sentiments.

“Enjoy it, to be honest. It's such a special moment. Get into Formula 1, it's... For all of us, it’s like every step of your journey; you're climbing a ladder. And when you reach F1, that's a huge step and huge pride," Russell said. "The driving, to be honest, is probably the easiest part of the job. It's everything else that comes with Formula 1."

Kimi Antonelli stands out among the 2025 rookies, stepping into Mercedes in Hamilton's giant shoes. At 18, Antonelli's transition from Formula 2 to F1 come with a cloud of expectations. Navigating this new chapter, he, like his fellow rookies Doohan, Bearman, and Bortoleto, has the challenge of proving their mettle in arguably the most competitive motorsport environment.