Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli has been given the keys to his brand new Mercedes AMG GT 63 S after joining the Brackley team for the 2025 Formula 1 season. But while many would jump at the idea of taking this sports car for a spirited drive, the 18-year-old racing driver can’t drive it on home soil for another three years.
Despite piloting machinery whose performance dwarfs any road-going car, Antonelli isn’t legally able to drive it on Italian roads until 2028. The Bologna-born driver turned 18 last August and has only passed his test in January of this year.
This follows Italy’s road rules which came into affect on 14 December, 2024. It prohibits new drivers from driving vehicles with more than 75 kW per ton during the first three years of holding their license. The Mercedes boasts 430 kW per ton, so sits just slightly above this. Previously, drivers only had to wait one year for this restriction to be lifted.
Of course, for Antonelli, this means he can sit behind the wheel and enjoy the purr of car’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, but he can’t drive it on the public road. The car will stay in the garage for the time being (or outside of Italy), despite him being a skilled precision driver who sits fifth in the drivers’ standings.
The young Italian has had an incredible start to his rookie season. Being Lewis Hamilton’s replacement at Mercedes came with intense pressure, but Antonelli has risen to the challenge, collecting 30 points over the first three race weekends. Australia was especially impressive, with him qualifying 16th after receiving floor damage, but finishing fourth in a sodden campaign.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
“In Qualifying that wasn’t his doing, he just hit the bump at the wrong place. He would have qualified much further ahead,” team principal Toto Wolff said on his Australian performance. “In the Grand Prix, we saw that he was able to reel in everybody slowly but surely without making any mistakes. He had a little spin, but otherwise P4 is the result that he merits.”
The Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix further proved his skill, with him finishing sixth place in both races.
“I think we always knew his potential since he was a kid. He performs under pressure,” Wolff said.
While he fights on-track, he’s also fighting against exams as he finishes school. He’s in his final year of education, and is having to balance his racing and testing.
“I have the last year of school. I have final exams. So I’m trying at the moment to fit a date where I can do it, which is pretty difficult,” Antonelli recently explained to The Fast and the Curious podcast.
“It would be a shame just to quit on the last year of school. And also, my mum cares about it, so I will do it for her as well.”
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