Mercedes has finally confirmed that Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be Lewis Hamilton’s replacement in Formula 1 next year.
The young Italian had been widely tipped for the seat alongside George Russell for several months, despite the German manufacturer’s flirting with Max Verstappen.
And while Antonelli has faced perhaps more struggles in Formula 2 this season than anticipated, Mercedes is clear that it has seen enough from him there, allied to his tests in F1 machinery, to be sure he is the right man to join it in 2025.
Antonelli has been part of the Mercedes junior driver programme since 2019 and, having won championships in karting, has shown his promise with a series of single-seater titles throughout his junior career.
He won the Italian F4 and ADAC F3 titles in 2022, adding a victory in the FIA Motorsport Games Formula 4 Cup as well that year.
He also took the 2023 Formula Regional Middle East Championship and Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA).
This year he stepped up to F2 with Prema Racing, and has endured some highs and lows throughout the campaign as he and his team got used to the series’ new car.
He made a breakthrough at the British Grand Prix support race, though, securing victory in the Silverstone sprint for his first F2 race win. He added a further triumph in the Hungary feature race and is currently seventh in the standings.
