The long-awaited promotion has now become official.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli will compete with Mercedes in the 2025 F1 season.
When legendary driver Lewis Hamilton made the shock decision to leave Mercedes for Ferrari at the end of the 2024 season, speculation was rife as to who would get the chance to slip into the most coveted seat in motorsport. While some within Mercedes may have pinned their hopes on poaching Max Verstappen from Red Bull, attention quickly shifted to the young prodigy currently rising through the single-seater ranks.
Having just celebrated his 18th birthday, Antonelli skipped F3 entirely and moved up to F2 this season, before competing in the Formula Regional European Championship in 2023. Despite a slow start to his F2 season with Prema, Antonelli recently took two wins, the F2 sprint race at the British Grand Prix and the F2 feature race at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
He currently sits sixth in the F2 Drivers' Championship standings.
The young driver has also taken part in several test sessions for Mercedes, including a spin in the W13 after the Belgian Grand Prix, and Antonelli also drove in FP1 on Friday at the Italian Grand Prix, putting in an impressive first lap.
His second lap ended when he hit the barrier after a spin at Parabolica.
But that didn't dent the team's plans to have him on the team next season.
“Our 2025 driver line-up combines experience, talent, youth and sheer speed, and we are excited to see what Georges and Kimi will bring to the team, both as individuals and as a partnership,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff. “The new line-up is perfect to open the next chapter in our story. It's also testament to the strength of our junior program and our belief in home-grown talent.”
“George has proven himself one of the best drivers in the world – not only is he fast, consistent and decisive, he has also developed into a strong leader within our team, while Kimi has consistently shown the talent and speed needed to compete at the very top of the sport,” added Wolff. “We know this will be another big step up, but he has impressed us in F1 testing this year and we will support him every step of the way in his learning process. George is an experienced teammate who will allow me to learn from him and hone my skills. I am confident that they will both contribute greatly as we build momentum and continue to fight at the front of the field.”
Antonelli called the promotion a “fantastic feeling” and was full of praise for his future team-mate Russell.
“It feels great to have been announced as a Mercedes works driver alongside George in 2025. Competing in Formula 1 is a dream I've had since I was a young child and I'd like to thank the team for the support I've received throughout my career so far and the trust they've shown in me. I still have a lot to learn but I feel ready for this opportunity,” Antonelli said. “I'll now focus on getting better and achieving the best possible results for the team.”
“I'm also really looking forward to being team-mate with George. Like me, he came through the team's junior program and is someone I respect a lot,” Antonelli added. “He's super fast, has won multiple Grand Prix and has already helped me grow as a driver. I'm looking forward to learning from him and achieving results on the track together.”
