According to Italy’s Il Corriere dello Sport, 17-year-old Kimi Antonelli will step into Lewis Hamilton’s seat at Mercedes next year as Hamilton heads to Ferrari. Over the Monaco GP weekend, rumors swirled that Carlos Sainz, soon to be leaving Ferrari, was informed he won’t be George Russell’s teammate in 2025.
Earlier in May, Mercedes hosted a private test at Silverstone, pitting Antonelli, whose real name is Andrea, against Mick Schumacher and Russell. “The three drivers drove a 2022 Mercedes and followed an identical program,” Corriere dello Sport reported. “Antonelli matched Russell’s pace in qualifying and slightly outperformed him in race conditions.”
The impressive results convinced the Mercedes board, which voted unanimously for Antonelli’s F1 debut next year. Initially, only three board members supported the move, but the Silverstone test results swayed the necessary 15 members to approve.
George Russell, 26, expressed enthusiasm about teaming up with Antonelli. “Kimi is a fantastic driver and a fellow Mercedes junior, like I was. It’s a great opportunity for Mercedes’ future. But I’d welcome any teammate. I’ve got a pretty good one right now,” Russell added with a smile.
