seventeen-year-old promoted to replace Hamilton at Mercedes
Mercedez's attempt to poach Max Verstappen from Red Bull didn't pan out. Instead, they're introducing a 17-year-old as the successor to the record-setting Lewis Hamilton. Beginning in 2025, Andrea Kimi Antonelli will take the wheel for Mercedez.
Lewis Hamilton, who's shattered numerous Formula 1 records, can't be surpassed. With most world titles, most wins, and most pole positions, but also most races with a team under his belt, the British driver has spent 231 Grand Prix weekends representing the Silver Arrows since joining them from McLaren in 2013. His decision to switch teams to Ferrari in 2025 was stunning news in the motorsport world. This left Mercedes in a tough spot, with the necessity of finding a suitable replacement for a driving icon.
Toto Wolff and company have now found their answer: Andrea Kimi Antonelli is being promoted to the top league after just one year in Formula 2. Recent reports from RTL/ntv align with earlier speculation, as the 17-year-old Italian is set to become teammate of George Russell for the season ahead. However, it had been unclear whether the team would take the risk of having such a young driver in a high-pressure situation.
Wolff had previously hinted at the Canadian Grand Prix that Mercedes was seeking a long-term solution. Carlos Sainz, who lost out to Hamilton's position at Ferrari, was subsequently cut. As Wolff explained, "We haven't finalized our plans for next year, but we didn't want to keep Carlos waiting since he needs to make his own decisions." He further clarified, "We've now chosen a path to pursue something new for ourselves in the future."
Antonelli, who turns 18 on August 25, has already left an indelible mark with his runs in Mercedez's older cars. In the current Formula 2 season, the Mercedes junior occupies sixth place in the overall standings after five race weekends. In the past season, he dominated the Italian Formula 4 Championship (13 wins in 20 races) and the ADAC Formula 4 (9 wins in 15 races). For the 2023 season, he won titles in both Formula Regional European and the Formula Regional Middle East. Consequently, he bypassed Formula 3 to prove himself in Formula 2.
Lewis Hamilton also expressed warm sentiments towards his potential successor, claiming in May, "I'm not sure what Mercedes' strategy is, but if I were in charge, I would probably choose Kimi." Andrea Kimi Antonelli is now preparing to take on the task of propelling the works team of the German manufacturer back to the top.
In the thick of the controversy at Red Bull - the issues with team boss Christian Horner and the departure of design virtuoso Adrian Newey - Mercedes had even debated a move by world champion Max Verstappen. He's the one Arthur Kimi Antonelli must now step up to challenge.
