F1 was shocked when it was revealed that Lewis Hamilton would leave Mercedes for Ferrari in February. This sent shockwaves through the paddock and sparked a crazy driver market. However, Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff stayed calm and brought in young Italian racer Kimi Antonelli for the 2025 season.
The 18-year-old has been part of the Mercedes junior program since 2018 and was the logical choice to replace seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. He will partner with experienced racer, George Russell, and the Italian has set his sights on beating him.
Kimi Antonelli wants to beat experienced teammate George Russell
Kimi Antonelli is coming into F1 at a time when rookies are flying. Both Franco Colapinto and Liam Lawson are scoring points for their respective teams. This has blown the idea rookies need time out of the water. However, this has not dented Antonelli’s confidence.
Antonelli has highlighted his plans for the 2025 season and wants to be the top dog at Mercedes. Speaking to Gazzetta, the youngster said: “I have a good relationship with George. For now everything is fine. But next year, I want to beat him.”
🚨 | OFFICIAL: Kimi Antonelli has signed with Mercedes for the 2025 season. #F1 #Formula1 pic.twitter.com/bEeErtDo8e
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) August 31, 2024
Antonelli has struggled in F2 this season in his rookie year. However, much of that is thought to be with his Prema car. The teams have struggled to get on top of the new car with a small working window. Standout performances at Silverstone and Spa have shown Kimi has a good turn of pace.
Will Mercedes improve in 2025?
The W15 has had a disappointing season. Despite recording three wins this term, the Silver Arrows sit 211 points off constructor championship leaders McLaren. The mid-season burst of speed flattered to deceive as the drivers struggled again with the car. George Russell described the W15 as the “most inconsistent” car he has driven while at Brackley, while Hamilton called it the “worst” car he has driven.
Fair to say Lewis Hamilton is NOT happy with his car 😬 pic.twitter.com/i0kB4sQaAx
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 4, 2024
However, there are reasons to be optimistic about Mercedes challenging for wins next season regularly. Engineering director Andrew Shovlin has said the team will learn from the remaining three races to improve the car for next season.
Speaking after Sau Paulo, he said: “We are confident there are some fundamentals that we have got to get to grips with on this car in order to fix them on the W16, and we are very busy with that right now, and hopefully making the right changes over the winter so that we are not struggling with these weaknesses next year. The big focus in these remaining races for us is learning what we can.”
This is promising news for George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. However, Mercedes has struggled throughout the ground effect era and has never got to grips with their cars since 2022. Will Mercedes be challenging for wins next season? Comment below, and let us know.
