The Lewis Hamilton Starting Trick Kimi Antonelli Has Added to His F1 Routine
· Yahoo Sports
Kimi Antonelli appears to have added a familiar Lewis Hamilton habit to his Formula 1 starting routine. The Mercedes driver has been spotted placing one hand high across the steering wheel while preparing for a launch, a position Hamilton used regularly during his Mercedes years and even now.
Visit h-doctor.club for more information.
It doesn’t prove that Hamilton personally passed the technique to Antonelli, but it does maybe show how closely the 19-year-old is watching over the driver he replaced at the Brackley team.
Why Antonelli’s Starting Position Looks Familiar
The peculiar positioning of Hamilton’s hands on the grid became evident following the adjustments made to his steering wheel and clutch setup in the 2016 season. Reports from the time confirm that changes were made to improve the driver’s starts, allowing Hamilton improved leverage and a more efficient clutch release.
In that setup, Hamilton’s left hand sat high on the upper-left portion of the wheel while his other hand managed the clutch control. The position wasn’t just a bit of fun, it was indeed very deliberate. An F1 start demands the driver balance engine speed, clutch engagement, steering input, the lights going out, and rear-tire grip in a fraction of a second. Even a slight alteration in the clutch-paddle movement can hugely impact the process of taking a car from a stationary position to a smooth start, all while avoiding wheelspin and optimizing acceleration.
By placing one hand on top of the steering wheel, a driver can maintain a reliable physical reference point while using the other hand to operate the clutch paddle. Launches reward repeatability, and Formula 1 drivers are famously fond of anything that removes one more variable from the panic of a start of a race.
The Mercedes youngster has begun using a starting position strikingly similar to the now-Ferrari driver’s, with it being a discussion point specifically at the Italian Grand Prix of this weekend.
The Mercedes Link
Antonelli replaced Hamilton at Mercedes after the Briton departed for Ferrari, beginning his full-time Mercedes F1 role at the beginning of the 2025 season. He had already spent substantial preparation time inside the team, including simulator and data work at Brackley, track testing, circuit study, and practice with the controls and procedures built into the Mercedes steering wheel.
Antonelli said on his processes: “Then there’s Bono. I’ve been working with him and learning from him to be ready for 2025.” He added, “I’ve been learning those and getting used to all the procedures on the steering wheel as well.”