After months of waiting, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team finally confirmed to Andrea Kimi Antonelli as George Russell’s new teammate for the 2025 season Formula 1.
One of the stories this year at the Big Circus was to know the identity of the replacement of Lewis Hamilton, who announced long before the start of the World Championship that he would leave for Ferrari. There was no shortage of candidates, from Carlos Sainz up to the same Max Verstappen, to the extent that representatives of each were in some degree of conversations with Toto Wolff and the top brass of the Brackley house.
But with the Spaniard’s departure to Williams and the Dutchman’s intention to stay at Red Bull, Andrea Kimi Antonelli was promoted this Saturday, who will be another of the rookies confirmed on the grid for 2025. In fact, he will be the first first-year driver that the German house has in its line-up in its history in the Grand Prix.
“Kimi has consistently demonstrated the talent and speed required to compete at the very top of our sport. We know it will be another big step forward, but he has impressed us in his F1 testing this year and we will support him every step of the way through the learning process,” said Wolff.
“In George he has an experienced teammate who he can learn from and hone his craft. I’m sure they will both contribute greatly as we continue to build momentum and fight at the front of the grid.”
Toto Wolff with his 2025 drivers (PHOTO: Mercedes-AMG F1 Team)
Who is Andrea Kimi Antonelli?
Andrea Kimi Antonelli is an Italian driver born on August 25, 2006, but it was not until 2021 when he began his single-seater career by competing in the Italian Formula 4 with Prema Racing; the following year he was champion in that series and also in the German division, while in 2023 he was proclaimed champion of the Regional Formula in Europe and the Middle East.
This year he is making his first campaign in Formula 2, where he has two victories (one in the All-Star category and one in the Sprint category) and was seventh in the overall standings before this weekend. His official debut in F1 was yesterday Friday on the Italian track, although he suffered an accident at the Curva Parabólica.
“It’s an incredible feeling to be announced as an official Mercedes driver alongside George for 2025,” he said.
“Getting into F1 is a dream I’ve had since I was a little boy and 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’m still learning a lot but I feel ready for the opportunity. I’ll be focused on improving and delivering the best possible results for the team.”
“I’m also very excited to become George’s teammate. He came through the team’s junior programme like me and is someone I have huge respect for. He’s super-fast, has won multiple Grands Prix and has already helped me improve as a driver. I’m looking forward to learning from him and working together to achieve results on track.”
There are officially two seats left available in F1 for 2025, one at Sauber and one at Racing Bulls.
