Only two drivers have ever had to replace a seven-time world champion on the Formula 1 grid in the sport’s history.
When Michael Schumacher left Ferrari at the end of 2006, Kimi Raikkonen was signed from McLaren and immediately won the drivers’ championship.
Schumacher then departed Mercedes at the end of 2012 and Lewis Hamilton was the driver brought in – also from McLaren – step into his seat and then went on to match the German’s incredible record.
In 2025, it’s Hamilton’s turn to vacate a seat at the Silver Arrows and team principal Toto Wolff has selected 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli as his replacement.
The teenager faces a monumental task, especially considering the current state of play in Formula 1.
This season is the final year of the current set of regulations, meaning all of Antonelli’s rivals have vastly more experience in racing conditions in these cars than he does.
Antonelli has completed an extensive amount of private testing, but there’s no substitute for wheel-to-wheel combat at this level.
He needs every advantage he can get and Hamilton’s old race engineer Peter Bonnington not following him to Ferrari so that he can work with Antonelli will give him a small boost.
Journalist Lawrence Edmondson was speaking on the Unlapped Podcast and believes he’s already spotted something Antonelli has been doing behind the scenes at Mercedes that will aid him during his maiden F1 campaign.
Mercedes engineers already so ‘engaged’ with Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Talking about the young Italian, Edmondson said: “I was lucky to actually spend some time with him in Baku, I did an interview with him.
“And the thing that comes across and will really help especially if he has a bit of a slow start or if it takes him a little while to get up to speed is that he’s a really likeable guy and that’s immediately obvious.
READ MORE: Know all about 2025 Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli including stats
“Before I did the interview, he happened to be speaking to some engineers around the table, and they were just so engaged with him.
“Because, one I think everyone at Mercedes knows that Kimi Antonelli is important to the future of that team, they’ve just lost Lewis Hamilton, such a big name and now Antonelli coming in.
“They want him to be something special, they all desperately want it. But there’s the signs that that’s there, and then also this personality that comes through.
“I think partly because he’s Italian as well, he has this kind of way about him.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s 2025 expectations can’t be decided until after pre-season testing
Pre-season testing in Bahrain is just a few weeks away and that will give fans their first proper indication of who will be battling for race victories this season.
In theory, Mercedes should be one of four teams – alongside McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull – that have a chance of tasting victory at the Australian Grand Prix.
George Russell has his sights set on Max Verstappen after their feud at the end of last season.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Mercedes F1 Team from team principal to lineage
However, it’s yet to be seen where that leaves Antonelli during his debut race weekend.
Wolff has attempted to temper expectations surrounding Antonelli but the teenager is unlikely to be happy to sit back and ease into his Formula 1 career, especially if his car has genuine pace.
After a season in Formula 2 where Prema’s car failed to live up to expectations and many fans’ lasting memory of Antonelli having his car lodged in the barrier at Monza, he’ll be desperate to make a better first impression at Albert Park.
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