New Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli has the opportunity to make history on his Formula 1 debut.
Max Verstappen is currently the youngest driver ever to ever win a Formula 1 race when he took the chequered flag on his Red Bull debut at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.
The Dutchman was 18 years and 228 days old that day, while Kimi Antonelli will be 18 years and 204 days old when the lights go out at the Australian Grand Prix.
It means the Mercedes star could also break Verstappen’s record at the next race in China although he would be at even more of a disadvantage considering he’s never raced in Shanghai.
The grid is expected to be closer than ever this year and four of last year’s top teams believe they have the chance to win Grand Prix.
McLaren appear to be the favourites but the conditions in Australia will be very different to Albert Park and that could play into any of their rival’s hands.
Antonelli doesn’t lack confidence behind the wheel of the Mercedes and turned heads in testing which how willing he was to push the limits of the car.
Mercedes have been investing in Antonelli’s progress for some time and while they may not have imagined he would be making his F1 debut as a teenager, he looks more than ready.
Marc Priestley was speaking on the Track Limits Podcast and shared what some Mercedes engineers have told him about the Italian’s reputation behind the scenes ahead of his first Formula 1 race.
Mercedes staff have seen Antonelli take part in thousands of miles of testing and have a clear idea of just how good he could be in the future.
Marc Priestley shares what Mercedes staff have told him about Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Priestley was asked which 2025 rookie is likely to impress fans the most this season and responded: “I think it’s going to be Kimi Antonelli and he is probably going to be furthest up the grid as well.
“But actually, more than that, I’ve got a lot of friends at Mercedes, I speak to people that have worked with him in testing and they’re raving about him as being a sort of generational talent.
“That doesn’t happen very often. That’s the Max Verstappens of this world, the Lewis Hamiltons.
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“The people that stand out really early on to the engineers of this business who, when you work with a driver, you get a completely different perception of what they’re like.
“Fans only ever can judge on the race results and the points scored and all these things, which is fair because that’s what you ever get to see.
“When you work with somebody up close and personal in a team, you see a completely different side and the people at Mercedes have a very different perspective and they are, they’re very excited.
“It’s his first year, so he will make mistakes, I’ve no doubt.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli previews his Mercedes F1 debut ahead of the Australian Grand Prix
Antonelli took part in his first F1 media day on Thursday in Melbourne and was previewing his first race with the team.
He said: “It’s amazing. Obviously, it’s a dream coming true. I’ve been waiting for this moment for my whole life. The winter felt pretty long, I’m not going to lie!
“I’m super happy to be here. I think it’s a special place to do the first Grand Prix. I’m really looking forward to seeing, once we hit the ground, how we can do.”
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“It’s hard to say. I don’t really know what to expect, because it’s my first Grand Prix, so I don’t want to set anything too high.
“I just want to do a clean weekend, with a nice rhythm, in order to be able to build up from that point.
“I know the track, so I don’t have to learn it. You understand the track, where you can overtake, where you can defend the best, so definitely [racing here in] F2 was a good help last year.”
Although Antonelli doesn’t want to set his sights too high, there are plenty of people at Mercedes who believe he has what it takes to eventually step into Hamilton’s shoes.
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