A long-awaited promotion is now official.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli will drive for Mercedes for the 2025 Formula 1 season.
When legendary driver Lewis Hamilton made the shocking decision to leave Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season for Ferrari, it touched off rampant speculation regarding who would get a chance to slide into one of the most coveted seats in motorsport. While some inside Mercedes may have held out hope for poaching Max Verstappen from Red Bull, the conversation quickly turned to the young phenom rocketing up the single-seater ranks.
Antonelli — who just celebrated his 18th birthday — moved to the F2 ranks this season after driving in the Formula Regional European Championship in 2023, skipping F3 altogether. While his F2 season driving for Prema got off to a slow start Antonelli recently secured a pair of wins, first in the F2 Sprint Race at the British Grand Prix and then in the F2 Feature Race at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
He currently sits sixth in the F2 Drivers’ Championship standings.
The young driver has also been participating in several testing sessions for Mercedes, including a recent spin in the W13 following the Belgian Grand Prix. Antonelli also drove in FP1 Friday at the Italian Grand Prix, putting in a thunderous first lap.
His second lap ended in the barrier after a spin at the Parabolica.
That did not derail the team’s plans to put him in the car for next season.
“Our 2025 driver line-up combines experience, talent, youth and out-and-out raw speed. We are excited about what George and Kimi bring to the team both as individual drivers, but also as a partnership,” said Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff. “Our new line-up is perfect to open the next chapter in our story. It is also a testament to the strength of our junior program and our belief in home-grown talent.
”George has proved that he is one of the very best drivers in the world. He is not only fast, consistent, and determined, but has also developed into a strong leader within the team. Kimi has consistently shown the talent and speed needed to compete at the very top of our sport,” added Wolff. “We know it will be another big step up, but he has impressed us in his F1 testing this year and we will be supporting him every step of the way in the learning process. In George, he has an experienced team-mate from which he can learn and hone his craft. I am confident that both will contribute greatly as we continue to build momentum and fight at the front of the field.”
Antonelli called the promotion an “amazing feeling,” and praised his future teammate Russell.
“It is an amazing feeling to be announced as a Mercedes works driver alongside George for 2025. Reaching F1 is a dream I’ve had since I was a small boy; I want to thank the team for the support they’ve given me in my career so far and the faith they’ve shown in me. I am still learning a lot, but I feel ready for the opportunity,” said Antonelli. “I will be focused on getting better and delivering the best possible results for the team.
”I’m also really excited to become George’s team-mate. He came through the team’s junior program just like myself and is someone I have a huge amount of respect for,” added Antonelli. “He is super-fast, a multiple Grand Prix winner, and has already helped me improve as a driver. I am looking forward to learning from him and working together to deliver on track.”
https://www.sbnation.com/formula-one/2024/8/31/24176850/f1-news-kimi-antonelli-mercedes-2025
