Andrea Kimi Antonelli is ready to debut in Formula 1 ‘without fear’ at the Australian Grand Prix, but the rookie has just gone against Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
The 18-year-old is preparing himself for the culmination of his rapid ascension up the single-seater ladder in recent years. Antonelli is due to become the third-youngest driver to start in an F1 race when he hits the grid in Melbourne having replaced Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.
Silver Arrows CEO and team boss Wolff put his trust into Antonelli to replace the seven-time Formula 1 champion after Hamilton stunned Mercedes by defecting to Ferrari. The Brackley natives will now run a line-up of only academy graduates with Antonelli and George Russell.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli goes against Toto Wolff as Mercedes rookie eyes Australian GP win
Antonelli joined Mercedes’ academy whilst dominating the go-karting scene in 2019 and has continued to flourish through his rise towards Formula 1. The Bologna boy did the ADAC and Italian F4 double in 2022, plus the Formula Regional Europe and Middle East double in 2023.
READ MORE: Know all about 2025 Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli including stats
Mercedes only saw Antonelli come sixth in Formula 2 as a rookie last year with PREMA as he scored brilliant wins in the Silverstone Sprint and Hungary Feature Race. He also recorded in excess of 5,500 miles in F1 cars, as Mercedes put Antonelli through a vast TPC programme.
| POS | DRIVER | AGE AT DEBUT | TEAM | RACE |
| 10 | Esteban Tuero | 19 years, 10 months, 14 days | Minardi | 1998 Australian Grand Prix |
| 9 | Fernando Alonso | 19 years, 7 months, 3 days | Minardi | 2001 Australian Grand Prix |
| 8 | Ricardo Rodriguez | 19 years, 6 months, 27 days | Ferrari | 1961 Italian Grand Prix |
| 7 | Mike Thackwell | 19 years, 5 months, 29 days | Tyrrell | 1980 Canadian Grand Prix |
| 6 | Lando Norris | 19 years, 4 months, 4 days | McLaren | 2019 Australian Grand Prix |
| 5 | Jaime Alguersuari | 19 years, 4 months, 3 days | Toro Rosso | 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix |
| 4 | Oliver Bearman | 18 years, 10 months, 1 day | Ferrari | 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix |
| 3 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli* | 18 years, six months, 19 days old | Mercedes | 2025 Australian Grand Prix |
| 2 | Lance Stroll | 18 years, 4 months, 25 days | Williams | 2017 Australian Grand Prix |
| 1 | Max Verstappen | 17 years, 5 months, 13 days | Toro Rosso | 2015 Australian Grand Prix |
But Wolff does not expect Antonelli to win in Australia or be fighting for pole position as the Mercedes boss believes he still has ‘a lot to learn’. That will not stop the Italian from eying a remarkable victory on debut at the Australian Grand Prix, as Antonelli will race without fear.
Antonelli told Sport.de: “I’ll attack fully from the start. My mindset is to go out on the track and drive for victories. It’s not easy, of course, I’m racing against the best of the best.
“It takes hard work. So, of course, I’ll try to learn as much as possible from the start. But I’ll attack and push straight away without fear and see what happens.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli has a lot to learn but has often started strongly en route to F1
Antonelli will have ‘a lot to learn’ at the start of his Formula 1 career, having jumped from F4 into Formula Regional, then Formula 2 and now F1 in four straight seasons. But he has never been shy to chase silverware from the off, so will naturally want to start strongly in Australia.
The teenager got his first Italian F4 podium in his seventh race in a single-seater, won on his F4 UAE debut, won on his ADAC F4 debut, took his first podium in Formula Regional Middle East at the third try and took a podium on debut in FRECA but he would need 15 races in F2.
His extensive TPC programme last year will also help prepare the Bologna boy, and Antonelli impressed Mercedes with his commitment and ability to drive an F1 car at its limits. But the Italian even pushed the limits and Antonelli could ‘hurt’ Mercedes if he keeps crashing in F1.
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