Mercedes announce Kimi Antonelli as Lewis Hamilton's replacement for the 2025 F1 season

It's official, Mercedes have announced Kimi Antonelli as Lewis Hamilton's replacement for the 2025 F1 season. The young Italian made his Formula 1 debut on Friday in the first free practice session, where he crashed on the second flying lap. Nevertheles, the driver had already impressed Toto Wolff enough to secure a seat for 2025.

Kimi Antonelli has had a meteoric rise through the junior ranks. He impressed everyone from his karting days. By dominating FRECA last season, the driver's performances meant Mercedes had enough confidence in him to skip F3 and jump straight to F2. While his Formula 2 has not been as impressive, a part of it has been put down to his team Prema being unable to adapt to the new regulations.

In spite of that, Kimi Antonelli is already a multiple race winner in the series and impressed Mercedes boss Toto Wolff enough to secure the seat. The driver would be replacing F1 icon Lewis Hamilton, who will join Ferrari in 2025.

Talking about his decision to sign Kimi in the team's press release, Wolff said that this would be the next chapter for Mercedes.

“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. Our new line-up is perfect to open the next chapter in our story."

He added,

"It is also a testament to the strength of our junior programme 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 Antonelli looking forward to teaming up with George Russell at Mercedes for 2025

Kimi Antonelli was excited about the next chapter of his racing career as well. The Italian driver would be teaming up with George Russell, one of the best drivers in F1, and said that he was looking forward to joining him at Mercedes and learning from him. Talking about his upcoming F1 debut in 2025, Antonelli said,

“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. I will be focused on getting better and delivering the best possible results for the team."

Kimi Antonelli will be only 18 years of age when he makes his F1 debut. It is, however, worth noting that Max Verstappen was also just 17 years of age when he first started racing in Formula 1. The young Italian is going to catch a lot of attention in 2025, considering the hype around him.