In February, the first reaction was shock when Mercedes F1 driver and seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton revealed his departure from Mercedes to drive for Ferrari after the 2024 season. The immediate second thought was, “Who will replace Lewis?” Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolf answered the question during the Italian Grand Prix weekend by announcing that Kimi Antonelli will take over Lewis Hamilton’s spot.
Why Wolf selected Antonelli
Last weekend’s selection wasn’t the first time Mercedes and Toto Wolf demonstrated their faith in Antonelli’s potential. In 2018, when he was 12, Mercedes recruited Antonelli to its junior program. Antonelli, sixth of 24 F2 drivers, attracted Mercedes’s attention when he consistently won karting.
In a press conference following the announcement that Antonelli would be Hamilton’s replacement, Wolf explained that only “five minutes” after Hamilton informed him of his departure at the end of the 2024 season, Wolf knew he wanted Antonelli to race with for Mercedes F1 team along with driver George Russell. Wolf’s decision was based on Antonelli’s skill, accomplishments, and character. Wolf also indicated Russell’s readiness to be Mercedes’s senior driver influenced the decision.
Wolf stated that the team met with and considered other drivers, especially Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz (Hamilton is replacing Sainz on the Ferrari team). In the end, however, Wolf decided to move Antonelli into the F1 slot. Wolf focused on the future and showed that the Silver Arrow team values its junior driver program.
Antonelli’s experience
In addition to his celebrating his 18th birthday on Sunday, August 25, Antonelli had a dramatic week at Monza before announcing his F1 spot. FIA F1 Sporting Regulations require junior drivers to participate in Grand Prix free practice sessions. Antonelli drove George Russell’s car during Free Practice 1 (FP1) and crashed it on the newly resurfaced track. The car needed such extensive repair that Russell managed only a short driving stint during FP2. Wolf stated the crash had no consequence for Antonelli’s career. This was before the subsequent driver announcement.
After his karting successes and before his F2 success, Antonelli won the Italian F4 and ADAC F4 Championships in 2022, which enabled him to advance to F2 without a stop in F3. Antonelli also won Formula Regional Middle East and European titles.
