Oliver Bearman and Kimi Antonelli together. (Image: Getty)
has expressed his support for his “dear friend” , who is set to step into shoes at . Both teenagers will be joining the 2025 Formula 1 grid.
Bearman secured a spot with following an impressive stint with in March, while Antonelli is being groomed as Hamilton’s successor at Silver Arrows.
Despite the intense pressure and anticipation surrounding the young Italian, Bearman, who will be racing against Antonelli in the future, hopes his Formula 2 teammate will seize the opportunity.
“Kimi is a very fast driver, that’s for sure,” Bearman told . “He’s also a good guy, I consider him a dear friend and I’m happy that we’ll be together in F1.”
Although he will be racing for Haas, Bearman remains part of the academy and will serve as reserve driver to Hamilton and .
hopes that Bearman will eventually replace Hamilton, who will be 40 when he first races in red and is nearing the end of his illustrious F1 career. This is a long-term goal that Bearman is already focused on achieving.
Toto Wolff is keen to manage expectations for Kimi Antonelli. (Image: Getty)
He added: “Growing up and racing for has been the greatest pride of my career. I hope to wear the red again very soon.”
Compared to his peers, rising star Antonelli skips the queue and lands directly in a coveted seat left vacant by none other than Hamilton. The prodigious 18-year-old is backed heavily by ‘s decision to forgo the usual route of nurturing talent through customer teams.
With such immediate trust comes Wolff’s understanding that Antonelli’s rookie year may have its trials, as he acclimatises to Formula One’s demands. Yet, the Austrian is adamant it’s a savvy move to partner him with ahead of the anticipated 2026 regulations reshuffle.
He explained: “I think the opportunity is there to fight for victories, and if you can do that, you will fight for the championship. George will settle in as the leading and senior driver, and Kimi is going to learn, and sometimes we will tear our hair out, and other times, we will see moments of brilliance. But it is going to be a year of managing expectations for Kimi and preparing our driver line-up for 2026.
“When you look at the wins this year, ‘s year was defined by victories at the beginning of the year, but you will have better data if you look from half the year with four teams really close. won six, five, us four and [nine].
“I would love to be in the fight with the other teams, we’d love to compete for victories on merit, but it is not a given, it is absolutely something we need to fight for.”