After seven months of rumours, the soap opera is coming to an end. Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be a Mercedes driver in 2025, taking the place left by Lewis Hamilton after his move to Ferrari.
Toto Wolff, who ruled out signing Carlos Sainz from the start in order to leave the door open for Antonelli, has confirmed his riskiest bet by putting a driver in the silver car who less than a year ago did not even have a place on the Formula 3 grid.
In his brief time in Formula 2, the Italian has shown glimpses of exceptional quality, as has happened in his only two victories so far, in Great Britain and Hungary. However, he is seventh in the championship, and his records are far from those of drivers such as Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri, who took the title in their first season.
Accident and announcement in less than 24 hours
The official announcement comes just a few hours after the Italian driver’s first appearance in a Formula 1 Grand Prix. It happened yesterday, in the first free practice sessions of the Italian GP, and his debut could not have been worse.
Antonelli knew that all eyes were on him and he tried to impress. After setting the fastest time on the first lap, he lost control of his Mercedes as he went to the limit on the ‘Parabolica’, the most difficult corner at Monza, and ended up against the barriers.
Despite the gruesome image, Toto Wolff was quick to come to the defence of his driver and assured that, despite the crash, Antonelli’s previous lap had been “spectacular”, dispelling any doubts that might have arisen.
The ‘new Verstappen’
Antonelli has been dubbed the ‘new Verstappen’ in the Formula 1 paddock. The Italian will be the youngest driver to arrive in the ‘Big Circus’ since the Dutchman did so in 2015, at just 17 years old.
In fact, rumours suggest that the shadow of the Dutchman, who slipped through Mercedes’ hands to join Red Bull, has weighed heavily on Toto Wolff’s decision to promote him directly to Mercedes, without gaining experience in another team beforehand.
The legacy of Lewis Hamilton
Andrea Kimi (whose middle name pays homage to the legendary Räikkönen) will have the difficult task of replacing the most successful driver in the history of Formula 1, whose departure to Ferrari leaves a huge void at Mercedes.
In addition, he will do so with practically no time to adapt. If the star’s team continues with the progress it has made in 2024, it will debut with a car that will make it a direct candidate for the World Championship, something that has not happened since Hamilton’s debut in 2007 with McLaren.