Andrea Kimi Antonelli

Biography of F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli

Andrea Kimi Antonelli made his Formula 1 debut during the Italian Grand Prix, driving in the first free practice session for Mercedes. Unfortunately, his debut was cut short when he lost control of the car and crashed at the beginning of the session. 

On August 31st, 2024, Antonelli was announced as Lewis Hamilton's replacement at Mercedes. He will race for the German team in the 2025 Formula 1 season.

Karting & Mercedes Junior 

Andrea Kimi Antonelli started karting in 2014 and quickly became a dominant force in international competitions. This success earned him a Mercedes Junior Team seat in 2018. He won numerous championships and secured podium finishes in both the European and World Championships.

Transition to Single-Seaters 

In 2021, Antonelli transitioned to single-seaters and made his debut in the junior formula championship in Italy. He then competed in the Italian Formula 4, FIA Motorsport Games, Formula Regional Middle East, and Formula Regional European. It is common for drivers to progress to the FIA Formula 3 championship before moving up to Formula 2 and Formula 1. However, Antonelli skipped this step and directly participated in the 2024 Formula 2 championship with the Prema team.

Antonelli Moves from Formula 2 to Formula 1

Prema is known as a good team, but in 2024, the team struggled with an unreliable car, making it difficult to compete with the top. This made it challenging for Antonelli to perform well, but he ultimately finished sixth in the Formula 2 championship. During the Italian Grand Prix, Andrea Kimi Antonelli made his Formula 1 debut for the Mercedes team. Unfortunately, he crashed and had to retire from the race early, which sparked much discussion. On August 31, 2024, it was announced that Antonelli would replace his idol Lewis Hamilton and compete for the entire 2025 Formula 1 season alongside teammate George Russell.