In February 2024, Toto Wolff faced a massive challenge when Lewis Hamilton announced that he’d be leaving Mercedes for Ferrari at the end of the season.
The decision had huge implications, both financially and in terms of brand. Here was a driver who was not just a seven-time world champion but an icon who had helped the Silver Arrows return to the top by winning six drivers’ and eight constructors’ championships — a superstar who single-handedly had the power to draw thousands to the stands during any race weekend.
Experts predicted that Mercedes would need a big name to replace Hamilton. World champions Fernando Alonso, Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel along with race winners like Carlos Sainz and Valtteri Bottas were speculated to replace the Briton. But Wolff had other plans.
In August 2024, Mercedes announced that 18-year-old Italian teenager Andrea ‘Kimi’ Antonelli would replace Hamilton in 2025.
It was a huge risk. Immature, too young, inexperienced were some of the adjectives used for Antonelli as many doubted Wolff’s decision. They had a point. The Bologna-born was definitely inexperienced, having skipped Formula 3 and moved directly from F4 to F2.
Inexperienced he may have been but the tortellini-loving teenager was fast. After all, racing was in his blood — his father Marco was a sportscar racing driver. On his way up to Formula 1, Antonelli displayed that his talent stood out, especially in the rain which often acts as a great leveller with the better drivers eventually coming out on top.
Known as an aggressive driver, he would often “throw” his car in turns during junior categories which have far less grip than F1. This was particularly noticed during his F1 practice debut at Monza in 2024 where he would brake late, preferring a “pointy-end” sensitivity, just like Max Verstappen. He often experiments with “karting lines” — unconventional grip on tracks — during races which he has described as natural to him.
Antonelli had a stellar karting career, rapidly rising through the ranks. Winning multiple karting titles helped him earn a berth on the Mercedes junior team in 2019; afterward, he moved into single-seater racing.
In Formula 4, he won ADAC, Italian F4, and the Formula Regional Championship in Europe and the Middle East in 2022 and 2023 which helped him skip F3 and enter F2 directly with Italian team Prema Racing, which has produced top talents like Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, and Mick Schumacher among others.
In the 2024 F2 season, Antonelli finished on the podium thrice, winning two races. His skills impressed the leadership at Mercedes, who decided to sign him with Wolff claiming “he will be the real deal”.
Last year, Antonelli, slowly but surely, silenced his critics one after the other with solid drives. At 18 years and 203 days, Antonelli became the second youngest F1 driver — behind Max Verstappen (17 years and 180 days) — to earn points when he finished fourth on his debut at the 2025 Australian GP.
In only his third ever race — the 2025 Japanese GP — Antonelli became the youngest driver to set a fastest lap at 18 years and 225 days, overtaking Max Verstappen (19 years, 44 days).
Two months later, the Italian became the third youngest driver to claim a podium at 18 years and 294 days, behind Verstappen (18 years, 228 days) and Lance Stroll (18 years, 239 days).
After earning three podium places in 2025, Antonelli continued his record-breaking spree this year too when on Saturday he became the youngest to claim pole at 19 years and 202 days, breaking Sebastian Vettel’s record (21 years and 73 days).
A day later, he became the second youngest winner in F1 after Verstappen (18 years, 228 days), when he dominated the race from pole to chequered flag, winning from teammate George Russell by a comprehensive margin of five-and-a-half seconds.
“He is too young, we should not put him in a Mercedes, put him in a smaller team, he needs experience, look at the mistakes he makes. Here we go Kimi, victory!” Wolff remembered the criticism as he congratulated Antonelli over the radio.
Antonelli had lost the lead to the fast-starting Hamilton at lights out but displayed impeccable maturity to overtake the Ferrari driver on Lap 2, never relinquishing the lead again. He soaked in the pressure towards the end when pre-season favourite Russell was chasing him but Antonelli maintained his composure and gap to clinch his maiden Grand Prix win.
“I’m speechless. I’m about to cry. Thank you so much to my team, because they helped me to achieve this dream,” said an emotional Antonelli, unable to hold back his tears.
An extremely affable character, Antonelli earned high words of praise from Wolff with the Mercedes boss saying it was “one of the best moments I’ve had in F1”.
But no one was happier than Hamilton, who hugged his successor at Mercedes in what was a special moment. The Chinese GP was not just Antonelli’s first win, but also Hamilton’s first podium with Ferrari, ending a year-long wait.
Hamilton was gleaming and hugged Antonelli as the two shared the podium with Pete Bonnington, Hamilton’s former race engineer and Antonelli’s current one. In fact, second-placed Russell left the podium so that the trio could celebrate the special moment together.
Antonelli had announced his arrival. With a car that clearly looks the favourite to win both titles, for all you know it could turn out to be the Italian’s year. And championship leader Russell knows that. “He’s an incredible driver, he’s got a huge amount of talent, and I’m sure it’s going to be a tight year,” said a wary Russell.
