Andrea Kimi Antonelli has lifted the lid on the secret message of advice left for him by Lewis Hamilton in Mercedes’ hospitality unit, describing the note as “amazing.”
Antonelli was signed by Mercedes as Hamilton’s replacement last year following confirmation of the seven-time World Champion’s shock switch to Ferrari for the F1 2025 season.
Lewis Hamilton note discovered by Andrea Kimi Antonelli in Mercedes motorhome
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
The 18-year-old has made an impressive start to his rookie season and set pole position for the sprint race at the Miami Grand Prix earlier this month.
It emerged at the end of last year that Hamilton left a note for Antonelli in his driver room inside Mercedes’ hospitality unit, which was used for the final time by the 40-year-old at last year’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza, the final European race of the 2024 season.
Hamilton wrote an emotional tribute to his driver room on social media at the end of the Italian GP weekend, admitting his imminent Mercedes exit had brought out “a lot of emotions.”
Mercedes’ motorhome is making its first appearance of the F1 2025 campaign at this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola – close to Antonelli’s hometown of Bologna – marking the first race of the European season, with Antonelli viewing Hamilton’s note for the first time.
Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com in Thursday’s FIA press conference at Imola, Antonelli declined to share the contents of Hamilton’s message, only hinting that it included some “advice” for his own F1 career.
He said: “Unfortunately you guys cannot see, but I think it tells a lot on how Lewis is as a person.
