2025 will mark the first Formula One season in almost a decade where Mercedes haven’t had Lewis Hamilton driving one of their cars.
The seven-time world champion joined the Silver Arrows in 2013 and won six drivers’ and seven constructors’ championships, creating an unequalled driver-team legacy within the sport.
Tasked with the responsibility of occupying the vacant seat is one Kimi Antonelli, 18-years-old, Italian, and quite the big deal inside the world of motorsport. Antonelli was signed to the Mercedes Junior Team in 2018, becoming the second graduate from the programme, after new teammate George Russell, to earn a full-time seat with the Silver Arrows.
Rapid rise to success
A wunderkind cut from the same cloth as Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri, Antonelli has certainly caused quite the stir due to the dominant nature of his rise through the junior categories.
Three weeks after his 15th birthday, the youngster made his Italian F4 debut for Prema at the Red Bull Ring, scoring four points and finishing the weekend as the highest placed rookie. From there Antonelli would score three podiums during the race weekend at Monza, before dominating the following year’s championship, winning 13 races on his way to the title.
In 2023, the Italian would compete in the Formula Regional European Championship, winning his second title in successive years, once again increasing the hype surrounding the starlet. A promotion to F2 followed in 2024, once again representing Prema, paired with new Haas driver Ollie Bearman.
Antonelli suffered an unnaturally slow start to life in the category, not helped by constant rumours swirling around linking the Italian towards a promotion to the Mercedes F1 team, following the announcement of Hamilton’s Ferrari move.
A rain-soaked Silverstone levelled the playing field and provided the then 17-year-old with an opportunity to impress at a vital point in the decision-making process for the vacant Mercedes drive. Starting from pole in the sprint, Antonelli kept his cool throughout an extremely testing race to earn a fantastic victory, which included three safety cars and a red flag.
At the next round in Hungary, the Mercedes driver continued to impress with his first feature race win of the season after starting seventh on the grid, once again displaying his obvious talent and capability to fulfill the role as a Silver Arrows pilot. Antonelli would finish the season sixth in the drivers’ standings, recording two victories and three podiums, but the most precious prize he received was the long-awaited announcement that the Italian would be replacing Hamilton.
The real deal or a false dawn?
“It is an amazing feeling to be announced as a Mercedes works driver alongside George for 2025,” said the rookie following his unveiling as a full-time driver, via Mercedes’ media channels.
“I will be focused on getting better and delivering the best possible results for the team.”
Antonelli enters the 2025 season as the third-youngest driver in the sports history, but won’t enter the year unprepared, having completed several thousand miles of testing in preparation for his maiden F1 campaign.
Monza and Mexico provided the young driver with the opportunity to compete in FP1 sessions, with the Italian infamously crashing around The Temple of Speed. Despite that, Mercedes F1 chief Toto Wolff was grateful that his young prospect had the chance to test his limits ahead of his F1 debut.
Wolff has been cautious with his expectations for Antonelli in 2025, conscious of the weight of his words on the 18-year-old.
"If you expect him to be on pole position in Melbourne, win the race and immediately fight for the championship, then the risk is big because that will not happen,” said the Silver Arrows’ team principal.
"If we approach it in such a way that the boy is 18 years old, very talented, but of course has to grow into it first and will make mistakes, then the risk is limited."
Questions still surround Mercedes in the ground effect era, despite recording four race victories and a 1-2 in Las Vegas last year, with many still examining the Silver Arrows’ ability to take the fight to McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull over the course of 24 races.
Despite the uncertainty regarding the team’s performances, Antonelli’s priority is to learn from those in the team and absorb their crucial experience.
“I’m going to try also to learn a lot from my teammate, George,” said the 18-year-old. “He’s a really good driver and he has shown especially last year what he’s capable of. I’m going to try to learn as much as possible and then we’ll see what we can do.
“I just joined the grid, I’m in a good team – I’m in a great team, I’m with Mercedes and I’m really grateful for the opportunity I got.”
The road to Melbourne begins
Pre-season testing in Bahrain will take place between February 26-28, before the season gets underway in Australia on March 5.
