Mexico City, Oct 25 (IANS): Lewis Hamilton will hand over his Mercedes to 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli for the first practice session at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Friday, expressing confidence in the young Italian despite a crash during his practice debut at Monza in August.

Antonelli, who will replace Hamilton next season alongside George Russell, crashed heavily in Russell's car in Italy, but Hamilton believes the young driver will be better prepared this time around.

"Kimi is young and he's learning from his first outing in Monza," Hamilton was quoted by F1 as saying.

"I think what's key is, and as I spoke to him, he doesn't have to set the world alight on the first lap, just build into it, enjoy. I told him the track is really dirty early on, and whatever we're faced with we'll handle, but I don't think he'll have any problems at all."

Antonelli’s practice debut in Monza was marred by a high-speed crash, but Hamilton emphasised that the learning process for young drivers is crucial. As Antonelli prepares for his second practice outing, this time in Hamilton’s car, he carries the hopes of a team that has seen Hamilton win two of his seven world championships in Mexico.

Hamilton himself heads into the Mexico City weekend after a difficult race in Austin where he started 17th and crashed out after just two laps. Despite the challenges, Hamilton is keeping a positive outlook and hopes for better results in Mexico, a track where he has found success in the past.

"You never know what you're going to experience, and I have no clue how our car will be here," he said. "I think we just need to make sure we keep our heads down, and try to make the right decisions through the session, and we'll see what comes out of it."

With Antonelli taking on more responsibility within the team and Hamilton looking to bounce back from a tough weekend, all eyes will be on the young Italian as he navigates one of Formula 1’s most iconic circuits under the guidance of a former world champion.