Lewis Hamilton believes Kimi Antonelli is his perfect replacement at Mercedes ahead of his move to Ferrari for the 2025 Formula One season.
Hamilton, who has the equal most wins at Monza alongside Michael Schumacher (five), will race for Mercedes for the final time around the iconic track on Sunday.
But there have been consistent rumours of who will replace him on the grid for the Silver Arrows next season, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen even touted for a shock move.
However, it appears 18-year-old Antonelli, who has risen through the Mercedes junior programme, will be given the nod to join George Russell next year.
The Italian will replace Russell in the first practice session on Friday, and Hamilton is excited to see how he deals with the step up from Formula Two.
"I said a long time ago that I think that is who the team should choose moving forwards," Hamilton said. "Obviously, time will tell what they end up deciding to do.
"He is one of those young super talented kids that has come through. He's only 18, but I think it will be good for people to know that he has only just turned 18.
"He's got a bright future ahead of him and I am really excited to see his progress.
Antonelli's impending move to Mercedes showcases the Silver Arrows' plan for the future, but his showings in F2 this season suggest there is an element of risk involved.
He currently sits seventh in the standings, but has won twice in recent weeks at Silverstone and the Hungaroring that showcases he has the ability to make the step up.
And Hamilton is confident that Antonelli will flourish under the guidance of the team that have helped him win six of his seven world championship titles.
"We have been watching him through the different formulas and naturally he is a Mercedes driver. We are starting to see a lot of young drivers coming through and we are in that time now where there are only 20 seats and we are starting to see this new wave come through.
"In terms of taking on another driver that has had many years of experience as opposed of giving an opportunity to a youngster, that is what McLaren did for me and it worked out well.
"In my opinion, it's an opportunity for him to grow. He's going to get to work with the best in class and the people that I have worked with for so many years.
"It is a lot of weight on someone's shoulders, but I think it's a great environment that they will be able to nurture him and carry him through."
This weekend will also mark Hamilton's final race in Italy before his move to Ferrari.
The Briton will be replacing the outgoing Carlos Sainz, who has since joined Williams, lining up alongside Charles Leclerc for the 2025 campaign.
"I don't know, it definitely does feel a little bit different," Hamilton said. "I mean, it always feels special when you come here. There's always such incredible passion throughout Italy, just in general, but particularly about racing.
"It's always exciting to see the fans at the end of the weekend, it's a passionate event, and the excitement that they bring to this race is really not particularly matched in any way."
DRIVERS TO WATCH
Lando Norris - McLaren
After securing his second career win in F1, Lando Norris will be looking to chase down Verstappen at the top of the drivers' championship standings in Monza.
Norris has the chance to win two races in a row after his victory in the Netherlands and should he succeed, he will be the first McLaren driver to do so since Lewis Hamilton in 2010, in Turkey and Canada.
The race this weekend will also mark the Britons' 120th for McLaren, becoming the 13th driver to reach this milestone with a single team in history, but the first to do so with 100% of his Grand Prix career in the competition.
Norris would also become the first McLaren driver to achieve three wins in a single season for the first time since 2012, a year that both Jenson Button (three) and Hamilton (four) managed to do so.
But McLaren will also be looking to make up ground in the constructors' championship. They have had one or both of their drivers on the podium in each of the last 11 Formula 1 races.
Should they repeat in Italy, it will be their fourth best-ever run in the competition (12) behind only the 19 between Australia 2007 and Malaysia 2008, and the 13 twice between the United States and Portugal in 1990, and Germany 2011 and China 2012.
Charles Leclerc - Ferrari
Having gone five races without a podium finish since his historic win at Monaco back in May, Ferrari's Leclerc has seemingly found his groove again for the Italian team.
Leclerc has produced back-to-back podium finishes in Zandvoort and Spa, but in that time, has relinquished second place in the drivers' championship to Norris.
Still only 33 points behind the McLaren driver, Leclerc has the opportunity to close the gap at the top of the standings in Ferrari's home race.
He can beat his score from last season if he finishes on the podium in Italy (192 in 2024 currently compared to 206 in 2023). Leclerc also has his second best points average (12.8), after his 14 points average in 2022.
Ferrari have 19 wins at the Italian Grand Prix. If they repeat in this edition, it will be the second time a team have achieved 20 wins in a single Grand Prix after themselves in Germany (21), although they have not won at Monza since 2019, with Leclerc starting from pole position.
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers
Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 295
Lando Norris (McLaren) - 225
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 192
Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 179
Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) - 172
Constructors
Red Bull - 434
McLaren - 404
Ferrari - 370
Mercedes - 276
Aston Martin - 74
Mercedes' luck turns in Las Vegas one-two
George Russell was relieved to see Mercedes' luck turn as the Silver Arrows clinched a stunning one-two at the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday.
Russell held off challenges from Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, as well as team-mate Lewis Hamilton, to triumph from pole in Sin City.
He led for 49 of the 50 laps as he sealed his third victory in F1. Only at Sao Paulo in 2022 (66) and Sakhir in 2020 (59) has he led for more laps at a single grand prix.
Russell started at the front of the grid for the third time in 2024, having previously failed to convert poles in Canada and at Silverstone into victories.
Mercedes endured a difficult outing at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix last time out as Russell finished fourth and Hamilton 10th, and they were delighted to rediscover their consistency in Nevada.
"It's going to be a good party, I was planning on flying in a couple of hours but I'm definitely not getting on that flight. I’m going to enjoy this evening with all my team," Russell said.
"It's been a dream of a weekend. I don’t know how we've been so quick but I'm just riding this wave right now.
"To get the victory here, pole position and a dominant weekend, one-two with Lewis as well, we couldn't have chosen a better place to make this happen.
"I was just waiting for something to happen. The two races I've been on pole before it’s always been chaos, rain, dry, always something happening, last race in Brazil with the red flag... there is always something happening. Luck has turned and I'm so happy right now."
Hamilton, meanwhile, took the opportunity to congratulate his great rival Max Verstappen after the Red Bull driver sealed his fourth world championship by finishing ahead of Lando Norris.
"Firstly, congrats to Max winning the championship, still with several races to go," the seven-time world champion, who will join Ferrari for 2025, said.
"If I'd done my job yesterday it would have been a breeze today. But it's okay, I had fun coming from 10th and the team did a fantastic job.
"We don't know why we were quick this weekend but that's the best the car has ever felt. So I'm grateful to be a part of getting to that point.
"If the car drives like that in the next couple of races, then I think we'll be in a good spot to challenge the guys up front. The championship's done, so now it’s just all out, fight for the best positions possible."
Hamilton: 'I should have been in pole position' for Las Vegas Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton believes he should have been starting in pole position at the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Sunday despite qualifying 10th.
The Mercedes driver had finished top in both of Friday’s practice sessions before laying down the fastest time in Q2 as well.
Hamilton locked up during his first run in Q3 before a track limits violation in his second run saw his lap time deleted.
The British driver rued his drop-off in form that saw his team-mate and compatriot George Russell take pole position.
"I should have been on pole but I'm not, so it is what it is. C'est la vie, you live to fight another day," he told Sky Sports.
"It is what it is. It's been a good weekend so far, so I'll give it my best shot tomorrow. Congrats to George.
"The car felt different in Q3, and the stability was not there for some reason. But I had it in all the other sessions.
"But ultimately I didn't put the laps together. I'm really quite far back so I'll just see what I can do from there.”
Elsewhere in the paddock, McLaren’s Lando Norris will start in sixth position on the grid, one place behind his title rival Max Verstappen.
Norris needs to beat the Red Bull driver by at least three points to keep his title aspirations alive and take the championship race to the Qatar Grand Prix next week.
He does not, however, favour his chances against the serial winner.
"I will do everything I can. That's what I'm here to do. I'm not going to give up 'til the end even if chances are extremely thin," Norris said.
"I'm here to do the best in every race I can whether I'm fighting for a championship or not. We have [Verstappen] just ahead of us. We have a chance to beat him.
"Whether he wins or not tomorrow, for me it is not going to change anything, he is pretty likely to win the championship.”
Norris currently sits 62 points short of Verstappen who leads the Driver’s Championship on 393 points, though McLaren lead Ferrari by 36 points in the Constructors’ Championship.
"Do I wish it could have gone a bit further? Sure. But the race was lost in the first races of the year, when Max got too far ahead. I am proud and happy with what we’ve done,” Norris added.
"Be optimistic and look ahead to what we can achieve. I don’t expect anything much, for sure."
Russell revels in 'surprise' pole position for Las Vegas Grand Prix
George Russell "put it all on the table" to surge to a surprise pole position at the Las Vegas Grand Prix with an impressive qualifying display.
After Mercedes had topped all three practice sessions on Friday, Russell was able to convert his team's electric practice pace into a fourth career pole.
The Briton finished 0.098 seconds ahead of the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz, while Alpine's Pierre Gasly built on his podium at Interlagos last time out by finishing third, with Charles Leclerc starting in fourth.
While it was Russell’s out-going Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton who swept Thursday’s free practice sessions, the seven-time world champion could only manage 10th.
Asked if pole was expected coming into the weekend, Russell replied: “Honestly, absolutely not. It feels incredible to be back on pole.
“We’ve been so quick all weekend and I just knew coming into that last Q3 lap… that’s going to be the one that counts. It doesn’t matter what happened before then.
"I'm just so happy, and we've got to do some deep diving to understand why we’ve been so quick so far this weekend, because it was a real surprise!”
"Ultimately, you’ve got to put it on the table sometimes. I felt confident in myself – I knew if I did a clean lap, it would be enough to secure a front row, so to get pole position is incredible," Russell said.
"Ultimately, we’ve had a few good qualifying recently – we need to convert that into a win now."
Max Verstappen will share the third row of the grid with his sole remaining opponent for the title, Lando Norris, after qualifying fifth.
The Dutchman knows that he must finish ahead of the Briton's McLaren to claim a fourth consecutive world title, putting him level with Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel.
However, Verstappen believes that Red Bull are "just a bit too slow" after struggling for one-lap performance throughout the course of the weekend's action.
"We have been struggling to get the tyres to work over a lap, and we are slow on the straights as well, especially in qualifying," Verstappen said.
"You can see our rear wing, it’s trimmed down quite a lot, around the DRS flap, so when we open DRS we don’t get the gains like others do, so that makes it a bit more complicated around here.
“But that’s our own fault. We know that, that's a compromise we have, but nevertheless, I tried to do the best I could.
"It was quite close for P3, little details that could have been a bit better maybe, but overall I'm happy with the laps, was not much more in it."
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