Andrea Kimi Antonelli: Mercedes 2025 F1 driver returned to practice in Lewis Hamilton’s car at the Mexico City Grand Prix | F1 News

Mercedes protégé and 2025 driver Andrea Chimi Antonelli will make his second Formula 1 practice appearance when he takes control of Lewis Hamilton’s car at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Friday.

The 18-year-old Antonelli made something of a false start to his long-awaited top-level career during his first practice drive in the team’s latest car at Monza in September when he crashed at the Parabolica circuit on just his fifth lap, although team boss Toto Wolff later described the initial substandard the Italian’s pace as “amazing” so far.

It happened over the weekend and he was later confirmed as Ferrari-bound Hamilton’s replacement at the Silver Arrows for next season.

Antonelli will now hope to complete the full session on his second attempt when he drives Hamilton’s W15 car in first practice in Mexico, with the session broadcast live at 7.30pm. Sky Sport F1 on Friday.

Hamilton will return to his car for second practice, which will last 90 minutes instead of the usual 60 this weekend due to testing of Pirelli’s 2025 tyres.

“I’m looking forward to competing in first practice and doing my part to help the team get off to a good start on track this weekend,” Antonelli told the Mercedes website.

“This is a new track for me, for which I prepared hard. The altitude makes it unique and I’m looking forward to taking on the challenge.

“I want to thank the team for giving me the opportunity to contribute.”

All drivers are required to miss one Formula One practice session during the year to allow an inexperienced driver who has started no more than two Grands Prix to gain track time in his current car. By 2025, this requirement will be increased to two sessions.

George Russell watched Antonelli’s debut at Monza.

“We look forward to seeing how Kimi continues his development on the track in Mexico,” added Wolff, a driver whose preparation for the move to Formula One has been enhanced by a testing program in older Mercedes cars in addition to his Formula One racing season. 2.

With two rounds of the feeder series taking place in Qatar and Abu Dhabi from the end of November, newcomer Antonelli is sixth in the standings with one sprint win and one feature race to date.

The Italian will become the third youngest Formula One driver ever when he makes his debut at the season opener in Australia next March, aged 18 years and 203 days – only Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll were younger when they made their debuts. .

How was Antonelli’s first season in Formula 2?

In February this year, when Hamilton announced his shock decision to leave Mercedes and join Ferrari at the start of 2025, there was immediate talk of whether highly-rated junior Antonelli would take the reins.

The Italian had not yet turned the wheel in Formula 2, and he continued a slow campaign, but won two races before the summer break – first in the rain at Silverstone, then to victory in the Feature Race in Budapest. .

At the final Formula 2 weekend in Azerbaijan on 15 September, Antonelli scored his third podium of the year in the feature race.

He is only sixth in the Formula 2 standings but is comfortably ahead of his Prema teammate and Ferrari junior Oliver Bierman, who will join the Haas F1 team next year.

After Wolff’s public attempts to lure Verstappen away from Red Bull came to nothing, at least in terms of the 2025 season, it was all but confirmed that Antonelli would quickly take one of the most coveted jobs in the sport.

“I made the decision five minutes after Lewis Hamilton told me he was joining Ferrari,” Wolff said after Antonelli’s announcement of the 2025 Monza seat.

“Obviously we discussed other options and looked at Max’s idea – we didn’t write it off completely, looking at what happened at Red Bull.

“But instinctively I always wanted this line-up with these two (Russell and Antonelli), given the acceleration we did with Kimi and everything that goes with it, but it was exactly what I wanted to do straight away. “

Sky Sports F1 Schedule for Mexico City Grand Prix

Thursday, October 24
21:00: Press conference of drivers.

Friday, October 25
19:00: First practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix (session starts at 19:30).
21:00: F1 show.
22:45: Second practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix (practice starts at 23:00)*

Saturday, October 26
18:15: Third practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix (session starts at 18:30)
21:00: Preparation for qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix*
22:00: Mexico City Grand Prix qualifying*

Sunday, October 27
18:30: Grand Prix on Sunday: preparation for the Mexico City Grand Prix*
20:00: MEXICO GRAND PRIX*
22:00: Checkered flag: Mexico City Grand Prix reaction

*also live on Sky Sports main event (race build-up on Sunday from 7.30pm)

The Formula 1 triple header in America continues with next weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix, with every session broadcast on Sky Sports F1. Watch every Formula 1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month membership – no contract, cancel anytime.