Kimi Antonelli made his first official Formula 1 appearance at the Italian Grand Prix at the end of August. Within 10 minutes of his FP1 outing, he was in the barriers.
Mercedes later came to regret their decision. Unleashing Antonelli in front of his home crowd, just a day before he was due to be announced as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement, arguably created too much pressure.
Antonelli pushed extremely hard at the outset, as if he was desperate to prove himself. Heading into the Parabolica corner, he lost control of his car and slammed into the tyre wall in a 52G impact.
Martin Brundle called Antonelli the ‘luckiest driver ever’ because Mercedes adopted a comforting approach. Ordinarily, an FP1 deputy would face a stern rebuke for damaging the regular driver’s car.
But it remains to be seen whether the incident has damaged his confidence. He also appeared in the opening session at the Mexico City GP and stayed well out of the headlines.
He finished 13th fastest, 1.2 seconds off the pace set by future teammate George Russell. It was clear that he and Mercedes had adopted a far more cautious approach.
Mercedes insist Kimi Antonelli only had one crash in tests before 2025 debut
In addition to his two FP1 opportunities – Mercedes are obliged to run a young driver in those sessions at least twice per season – he’s carried out ‘a very extensive testing programme’. Under the regulations, team can carry out unlimited running in cars that are two or more years old.
According to former F1 commentator James Allen, speaking on his eponymous Autosport podcast, he’s been ‘mind-blowingly fast’ in those runs. One report claimed Antonelli even out-paced Russell over a long run at Silverstone.
However, there was also talk in the Abu Dhabi GP paddock that he’d had multiple accidents. Allen approached the Mercedes team about these rumours, and they denied them.
Antonelli is seen as a ‘Verstappen-level’ talent, but plenty of drivers have generated immense hype in the junior categories before struggling in F1. He finished sixth in F2 this year, though he did miss the last two races through illness.
“Antonelli has done a very extensive testing programme with a two-year-old Mercedes,” Allen said. “There were some rumours going round at the end of the season – I heard them in Abu Dhabi – that he’d had quite a lot of crashes during those tests.
“I checked it, and it’s not true, apparently it’s not true. He’s only had one. The rest of the time he’s been absolutely mind-blowingly fast.
“I’ve spoken to karting people who’ve told me that he is Verstappen-level good. The question is, can he convert that mentally into a consistent, winning package as a Grand Prix driver? There are no guarantees about that.”
Carlos Sainz Sr criticises Mercedes for what they’ve done with Kimi Antonelli
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown expects Antonelli to be ‘awesome’ from the outset in 2025. Based on Mercedes’ performances this year, he should have the machinery to occasionally compete for race wins, even if the title is out of reach.
Antonelli arrives with the well wishes of Hamilton, who left him a note on the wall of the Mercedes race base. The 39-year-old’s inconsistent performances in 2024 may at least lower the bar for his successor.
Former F1 driver Marc Surer says Carlos Sainz Sr is confused by Mercedes’ plan for Antonelli. He had a vested interest because his son was chasing the seat.
Sainz Sr privately pointed out that Russell spent three years at Williams before he graduated. That patient approach seemed to serve him well, but Toto Wolff has thrust Antonelli straight into the top team.
