F1 chief Stefano Domenicali has hailed Andrea Kimi Antonelli as a “golden boy” after the teenage sensation replaced Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for the F1 2025 season.

But the former Ferrari team principal has called for the Mercedes academy graduate to be given time, warning that it is unrealistic to expect Antonelli to be competing at the front from the start of the year.

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Antonelli was confirmed as Hamilton‘s successor at last year’s Italian Grand Prix, one day after his debut on an F1 race weekend ended early with a crash in the opening stages of first practice at Monza.

The 18-year-old, who becomes the first full-time Italian F1 driver since Antonio Giovinazzi in 2021, is widely regarded as the most exciting talent to arrive in the sport since Max Verstappen in 2015.

At 17, Verstappen became the youngest-ever individual to race in F1 a decade ago with the Dutchman securing a fourth consecutive World Championship in F1 2024, having established himself as one of the greatest drivers in the sport’s history.

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Domenicali is excited by the potential of Antonelli, but is keen to see the teenager afforded time to develop during his debut season.

Appearing at an awards ceremony organised by respected Italian publication Autosprint, the F1 boss said: “Kimi is a golden boy.

“He is a great talent, but we have to give him time to prove his qualities. We should not expect him to be at front already on the first lap in Melbourne.

“I hope so for him, but if that does not happen there is time to grow.

“His presence is important for the whole Italian movement.”

Antonelli will be one of six drivers contesting their first full season in F1 2025 along with Liam Lawson (Red Bull), Oliver Bearman (Haas), Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls), Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi F1/Sauber) and Jack Doohan (Alpine).

With the likes of Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas and Kevin Magnussen bowing out at the end of last season, the F1 2025 season marks a generational shift.

Domenicali has been left excited by the arrival of so many talented young drivers, adding: “They will add something special to a championship that from a technical point of view will certainly be very interesting.”

His comments come after Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team boss, aired his belief that Antonelli, who enjoyed an extensive F1 test program with the team last year, can be competitive from the start of F1 2025 and make an impact similar to Hamilton in 2007.

Having prepared for his F1 debut in an era of unlimited testing, Hamilton quickly emerged as a match for his team-mate, the reigning two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso, requiring just six starts to achieve his maiden win and falling one point short of becoming F1’s first-ever rookie World Champion.

Asked if Antonelli could match Verstappen’s trajectory, Wolff told Autosprint: “I think the project that inspired me more is the one that is more similar to Hamilton’s career.

“His growth in the junior categories and his impact in Formula 1 came at a time when you could test a lot more than Kimi has been able to do now.

“Ron [Dennis, McLaren boss] at the time said Lewis needed to take it easy to get used to F1, also because Alonso was at McLaren.

“However, that never happened. Lewis was immediately competitive and a success.

“With the current preparation, Kimi can jump into our car and be competitive.

“However, F1 now is a different animal than it was at the time of Hamilton’s debut. There are a lot more dimensions and facets compared to the past.

“There is more pressure and social media, so I think it is important to keep everything moving in the right direction, keep the right priorities and avoid what is not essential.

“The goal is to create a new success story as happened with Hamilton.”

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