Kimi Antonelli will become Formula 1’s first Italian driver since Antonio Giovinazzi this season. The teenager has joined Mercedes as the successor to Lewis Hamilton.
Antonelli doesn’t want to think of himself as Hamilton’s replacement, but comparisons will be unavoidable. The 40-year-old won six world championships at Brackley, though the partnership did seemingly grow stale last year.
Giovinazzi made his debut for the Sauber team during the 2017 season, replacing Pascal Wehrlein for the first two races. He returned full-time in 2019, by which point the team were known as Alfa Romeo.
He ultimately started 62 races, scoring 21 points and recording a highest finish of fifth. Antonelli, by contrast, aims to win races and championships, which is in line with Mercedes’ expectations.
No Italian driver has stood on the top step of an F1 podium since Giancarlo Fisichella, who won the 2006 Malaysian Grand Prix. That was the country’s 43rd triumph overall.
Giuseppe Farina won the very first F1 title in 1950, while Alberto Ascari lifted the trophy in ’52 and 53′. Remarkably given the country’s motorsport heritage, Ascari remains their last champion.
Kimi Antonelli makes ‘British driver’ point about Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari
While Antonelli joins the UK-based Mercedes team, British driver Hamilton heads to Italy. Oliver Bearman, Antonelli’s F2 teammate, drove for the Scuderia at last season’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after Carlos Sainz had to go hospital with appendicitis.
But Ferrari’s last full-time Briton was Eddie Irvine, who delivered four race wins between 1996 and 1999 as Michael Schumacher’s teammate. The list also includes Nigel Mansell, John Surtees and Mike Hawthorn.
Both Surtees and Hawthorn became world champions at Ferrari, but this was during the first two decades of the sport’s existence. Thus, Antonelli and Hamilton are bidding to end lengthy droughts.
| RANK | DRIVER | JOINED | LEFT | WINS |
| =1 | John Surtees | 1963 | 1966 | 4 |
| =1 | Eddie Irvine | 1996 | 1999 | 4 |
| =3 | Mike Hawthorn | 1953 | 1958 | 3 |
| =3 | Peter Collins | 1956 | 1958 | 3 |
| =3 | Nigel Mansell | 1989 | 1990 | 3 |
| 6 | Tony Brooks | 1959 | 1959 | 2 |
“It’s a bit crazy, because an Italian driver goes to Mercedes while a British driver goes to Ferrari!” Antonelli told Sky Sports. “But I’m super happy with the position I’m in.
“Of course, there is a lot of hype around the fact that there is a new Italian on the grid. And of course, it’s incredible that someone like Lewis is joining Ferrari. I think there will be a lot of enthusiasm at the Italian Grand Prix.”
Antonelli is right about the race in Monza. Italian Grand Prix organisers are experiencing unprecedented demand for tickets ahead of the race in September.
The Kimi Antonelli trait that’s already ‘near-legendary’ at Mercedes
Antonelli is already popular at Mercedes before turning a competitive wheel. He’s been with the team’s driver academy since he was 11.
One journalist has described the PREMA graduate as a ‘really likeable guy’. Mercedes are already downplaying expectations for Antonelli as they try to reduce the pressure.
But long term, they expect him to be a superstar. That’s exactly why they promoted him to a race seat immediately, rather than asking him to prove himself at a team like Williams – which is what George Russell had to do.
Antonelli has already earned ‘near-legendary status’ for finding the limit in older Mercedes cars. He’s completed thousands of miles of testing in preparation for his Australian Grand Prix debut.
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