PIT + PADDOCK

Antonelli f inally named as Hamilton’s Merc

FORMULA 1 Mercedes finally confirmed at last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix that its 18-year-old protege Andrea Kimi Antonelli will replace Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton in its Formula 1 line-up for 2025.

Antonelli had long been Mercedes’ preferred in-house pick to succeed the Briton, but team boss Toto Wolff kept a sliver of hope that he would be able to prise world champion Max Verstappen away from Red Bull. In talks between Wolff and the Verstappen camp over the summer, it was agreed that door has closed for now, meaning that there was no longer any obstacle to Mercedes announcing Antonelli as George Russell’s new team-mate.

“I made up my mind five minutes after Lewis Hamilton told me that he’s going to Ferrari,” Wolff said about his decision to promote Antonelli. “Obviously, we were discussing other options, and also kept the Max idea. We didn’t discount it completely with looking at what happened at Red Bull, but instinctively, that is the line-up with these two that I always wanted. We wouldn’t have gone for the line-up with

Oops! Debut FP1 outing at Monza did not end well

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these two if we wouldn’t believe 100% that they are the best choice for Mercedes.”

Antonelli, who will use race number 12, has been part of the Mercedes junior driver programme since 2019. After winning championships in karting, he has swept to the Italian and German F4 titles in 2022, and the European and Middle East Formula Regional crowns in 2023, all with Italian single-seater powerhouse Prema Racing.

This year he stepped up to F2 with Prema, and has endured highs and lows throughout the campaign. He scored a maiden F2 win in Silverstone’s sprint and added a further triumph in the Hungaroring feature race. He occupies sixth position in the standings.

“Reaching F1 is a dream I’ve had since I was a small boy,” Antonelli said. “I want to thank the team for the support they’ve given me and the faith they’ve shown in me. I am still learning a lot, but I feel ready for the opportunity.”

Alongside his F2 commitments, Mercedes has also handed the Italian an extensive test programme in its previous F1 cars, including its 2022 ground effect W13. His first outing in an FP1 session for Mercedes took place on Friday at Monza but ended in a high-speed 52G crash at Parabolica. “I guess he was just bitten,” Wolff said about the shunt after just a handful of practice laps. “Everyone suffered from the temperature, especially rear temperatures

4 AUTOSPORT.COM 5 SEPTEMBER 2024