Kimi Antonelli profiled - Mercedes teenager replacing Hamilton at Mexican GP (2024)

Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.

Kimi Antonelli will climb behind the wheel of Lewis Hamilton's car in Mexico this weekend.

By Harry Smith

Kimi Antonelli will get his second FP1 outing of the season on Friday as he replaces Lewis Hamilton for the opening session of the weekend at the Mexican Grand Prix.

The 18-year-old sensation is one of the most highly-rated starlets in the paddock and will make his full-time debut in F1 next season, succeeding Hamilton as George Russell’s Mercedes team-mate, despite only making his first Formula Two appearance earlier this year.

Antonelli’s rise has been a sensational one and the Bologna-born teenager arrives on the scene in F1 under plenty of pressure. The Italian was already a known name among motorsports fanatics during his karting days, and he backed up that hype by winning the Formula Regional European Championship and Italian F4 titles in 2023.

Related articles

  • Toto Wolff called F1 rival ‘idiotic’ as WhatsApp group chat message emerges
  • Helmut Marko and Christian Horner may sign rival star as team boss lays out plan

This won’t be Antonelli’s first experience of a Grand Prix weekend though. He made his FP1 debut at his home race, the Italian Grand Prix, earlier this summer, but after setting a blisteringly quick opening lap, the teenager suffered a high-speed crash at the Parabolica, ending his session early.

Team principal Toto Wolff later admitted that selecting Antonelli for his first F1 session at his home race may have put undue pressure on the F2 starlet. “I wouldn’t say it was a mistake, but I think we weren’t completely right in assessing the pressures that he could find himself under,” he said.

Don't miss... Red Bull have concerning McLaren theory as Norris title bid hangs in the balance

Stay up-to-date with the latest F1 news Join us on WhatsApp

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

Kimi Antonelli profiled - Mercedes teenager replacing Hamilton at Mexican GP (5)

Antonelli will step into Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes this weekend (Image: Getty)

Invalid email

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

“Why that is, is that we talked about it, and how to approach the session. He has been brilliant in testing. He has never put a single foot wrong in the many thousands of kilometres that he’s done.

“But it’s a different ball game if you’re an Italian driver, you’re 18 years old in Monza and it’s your first opportunity. Maybe if we had considered that as a risk factor against the set of data we had from him, probably it would have been wise to give him an FP1 that would have been in a totally different time zone than Italy. But he will learn a lot from that.”

More F1...
McLaren boss refuses call that would delight Norris but risk ‘destroying' team [UPDATE]
F1 team get monster £100m investment as strategy pays off ahead of Mexican GP [REPORT]
Esteban Ocon apologises to Colapinto after being told to 'give back' US GP prize [LATEST]

With his future at Mercedes assured, Antonelli can relax for the remaining two rounds of the F2 championship. However, with a third-place finish still a realistic possibility, he still has plenty left to fight for as he bids farewell to Prema Racing.

Antonelli will have at least one familiar face on the 2025 F1 grid with Prema Racing team-mate Oliver Bearman also graduating from F2. The Brit will team up with Esteban Ocon in an all-new Haas line-up after impressing in his two substitute appearances this season.

Related articles

  • Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff at odds as Brit's Mercedes theory dismissed
  • Norris admits to 'driving like a muppet' during contentious Verstappen battle

Kimi Antonelli Lewis Hamilton Toto Wolff Mexico City Grand Prix Mercedes

IPSO Regulated Copyright ©2024 Express Newspapers. "Daily Express" is a registered trademark. All rights reserved.

Kimi Antonelli profiled - Mercedes teenager replacing Hamilton at Mexican GP (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Reed Wilderman

Last Updated:

Views: 6503

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (52 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Reed Wilderman

Birthday: 1992-06-14

Address: 998 Estell Village, Lake Oscarberg, SD 48713-6877

Phone: +21813267449721

Job: Technology Engineer

Hobby: Swimming, Do it yourself, Beekeeping, Lapidary, Cosplaying, Hiking, Graffiti

Introduction: My name is Reed Wilderman, I am a faithful, bright, lucky, adventurous, lively, rich, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.