The world of Formula 1 has descended on Melbourne ahead of the 2025 season beginning in just a few days.
Hosting rights for the season opener have been handed to the Australian Grand Prix on this occasion and there are plenty of firsts to get excited about ahead of Sunday’s race.
Lewis Hamilton will be taking part in his first race for Ferrari after more than a year of excitement surrounding one of the most anticipated moves in sport, let alone Formula 1.
Mercedes took their time to decide who would replace Hamilton and eventually decided to confirm Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s spot on the grid.
The 18-year-old is making his debut this weekend, although Antonelli has done thousands of kilometres of testing behind the scenes to get up to speed as quickly as possible.
That appeared to pay off during pre-season testing with Mercedes looking like they had made a step forward over the winter.
Antonelli matched Charles Leclerc’s race simulation pace although it’s impossible to know until qualifying whether that’s representative of where each car sits in the pecking order this year.
Hamilton came out of testing in a positive mood which isn’t a surprise given his well-known desire to race for Ferrari at some point in his career and the struggles he endured during his final seasons with the Silver Arrows.
Martin Brundle admitted he’d never seen Hamilton look so happy during pre-season with the Scuderia but he’ll want to convert that goodwill into results as soon as possible.
Lewis Hamilton and Andrea Kimi Antonelli spotted together ahead of the Australian Grand Prix
Thursday is media day in Formula 1 and while all 20 drivers would have spoken to various journalists and broadcast teams, only six are selected for the televised question and answer session.
Australians Oscar Piastri and Jack Doohan joined reigning champion Max Verstappen, while the trio of Hamilton, Antonelli and Carlos Sainz were put together in the other group.
Considering each driver’s future was determined by Hamilton, it was understandable why they were paired together and journalist Julianne Cerasoli shared what was happening behind the scenes away from the press conference.
READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family
She said on X: “Cool moment in the press room: Lewis arrives and hugs Rosa Herrero, the Mercedes advisor who was with him for so many years.
“Carlos does the same with Silvia Hoffer, from Ferrari. And Kimi asks Lewis all sorts of questions.
“I still find it very strange to see the two of them in the new colours.”
Momento legal na sala de imprensa: Lewis chega e abraça a Rosa Herrero, assessora da Mercedes que esteve com ele por tantos anos. Carlos faz o mesmo com a Silvia Hoffer, da Ferrari.
E Kimi enchendo Lewis de pergunta.Eu ainda acho muito estranho ver os dois com as novas cores. pic.twitter.com/whNhN5cHnU
— Julianne Cerasoli (@jucerasoli) March 13, 2025
Andrea Kimi Antonelli not feeling the pressure of replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes
Every fan is going to be keeping a close eye on each lap Hamilton completes this weekend to see if they can work out whether he’s got a chance of winning an eighth drivers’ championship or not.
However, the dynamic at his old team is going to be equally fascinating as Antonelli takes part in his first full Grand Prix weekend.
Although George Russell is now considered the team leader at Mercedes, Antonelli won’t shy away from challenging him if he can quickly match his pace.
READ MORE: Know all about 2025 Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli including stats
Antonelli has shared how he’s dealing with the pressure of replacing Hamilton and already looks relaxed in front of the media and in the car.
The real test of his skills will be when the five red lights go out on Sunday and whether he’s managed to maximise his evident one-lap pace to secure a strong starting position on the grid.
