A protracted-awaited promotion is now official.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli will drive for Mercedes for the 2025 Method 1 season.
When legendary driver Lewis Hamilton made the stunning determination to go away Mercedes on the finish of the 2024 season for Ferrari, it touched off rampant hypothesis concerning who would get an opportunity to slip into one of the crucial coveted seats in motorsport. Whereas some inside Mercedes could have held out hope for poaching Max Verstappen from Crimson Bull, the dialog rapidly turned to the younger phenom rocketing up the single-seater ranks.
Antonelli — who simply celebrated his 18th birthday — moved to the F2 ranks this season after driving within the Method Regional European Championship in 2023, skipping F3 altogether. Whereas his F2 season driving for Prema received off to a gradual begin Antonelli lately secured a pair of wins, first within the F2 Dash Race on the British Grand Prix after which within the F2 Function Race on the Hungarian Grand Prix.
He at present sits sixth within the F2 Drivers’ Championship standings.
The younger driver has additionally been collaborating in a number of testing classes for Mercedes, together with a current spin within the W13 following the Belgian Grand Prix. Antonelli additionally drover in FP1 Friday on the Italian Grand Prix, placing in a thunderous first lap.
His second lap ended within the barrier after a spin on the Parabolica.
That didn’t derail the workforce’s plans to place him within the automotive for subsequent season.
“Our 2025 driver line-up combines expertise, expertise, youth and out-and-out uncooked velocity. We’re enthusiastic about what George and Kimi deliver to the workforce each as particular person drivers, but in addition as a partnership,” mentioned Mercedes Group Principal Toto Wolff. “Our new line-up is ideal to open the following chapter in our story. It’s also a testomony to the power of our junior program and our perception in home-grown expertise.
”George has proved that he is among the perfect drivers on this planet. He isn’t solely quick, constant, and decided, however has additionally developed into a powerful chief throughout the workforce. Kimi has persistently proven the expertise and velocity wanted to compete on the very prime of our sport,” added Wolff. “We all know it will likely be one other huge step up, however he has impressed us in his F1 testing this 12 months and we will likely be supporting him each step of the best way within the studying course of. In George, he has an skilled team-mate from which he can study and hone his craft. I’m assured that each will contribute significantly as we proceed to construct momentum and combat on the entrance of the sphere.”
Antonelli known as the promotion an “wonderful feeling,” and praised his future teammate Russell.
“It’s an incredible feeling to be introduced as a Mercedes works driver alongside George for 2025. Reaching F1 is a dream I’ve had since I used to be a small boy; I wish to thank the workforce for the assist they’ve given me in my profession up to now and the religion they’ve proven in me. I’m nonetheless studying lots, however I really feel prepared for the chance,” mentioned Antonelli. “I will likely be targeted on getting higher and delivering the very best outcomes for the workforce.
”I’m additionally actually excited to change into George’s team-mate. He got here by way of the workforce’s junior program identical to myself and is somebody I’ve an enormous quantity of respect for,” added Antonelli. “He’s super-fast, a a number of Grand Prix winner, and has already helped me enhance as a driver. I’m wanting ahead to studying from him and dealing collectively to ship on monitor.”
