The team Mercedes-AMG Petronas has finally chosen who will be Lewis Hamilton’s heir. The vacant seat of the seven-time world champion will not be filled by an already established rider, following the rumors surrounding it Carlos Sainz and others still, the final choice fell on Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Italy will return as a protagonist with a driver after a few years of emptiness, following the abandonment of the category by Antonio Giovinazzi, and it will do so with a very young talent that Mercedes is cultivating with great hope.
Who is Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Andrea Kimi Antonelli he is a Bolognese born in 2006, therefore eighteen years old for him who was born on August 25th. The very young Italian driver entered the orbit of Mercedes when he was just eleven years old and was racing in the 60 Mini Kart category. His class was already evident and many talent scouts had spotted him as a possible shining star of motorsport, starting with Giancarlo Minardiformer owner of the team of the same name, and discoverer of brilliant drivers such as Fernando Alonso, Jarno Trulli and Giancarlo Fisichella.
Little Antonelli has racing in his DNA, because he is son of Marco Antonelli, car driver and owner of the AKM Motorsport team, a team that races in various GT championships and in Formula 4. The second name itself is a tribute to one of the most emblematic and appreciated F1 drivers of the last twenty years: Kimi Raikkonen. When they say “nomen omen“, the name is an omen.
A brilliant career
Andrea Kimi Antonelli is a strong runner and his early career proves it. Even though he is still a minor, he has a track record that would be the envy of many. The spark that started everything came in 2018, when he joined Dino Chiesa’s Kart Republic team, who in the past worked with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Also in that year he won the WSK Champions Cup – 60 Mini and came second in the Italian Kart championship.
In 2019 he moved up a category, moved to OKJ, triumphed in the WSK Euro Series and the WSK Final Cup, as well as finishing second in the FIA Karting European Championship. In 2020 he reaches the OK category, wins the WSK Euro Series and becomes the European champion in his category, winning two of the four races of the final series. Also in 2020 he participated in the FIA Kart World Championship where he was involved in an accident, causing fractures.
Having recovered full fitness from the accident, Antonelli returns to savor victory in CIK-FIA European Championship. In 2021 he participated in the first tests with a Formula 4 car with the AKM Motorsport team on the Red Bull Ring and at fifteen years old he made his debut from the fifth round of the Italian Formula 4 with the Prema team. He was confirmed in Prema also the following year, while in 2023 he took part in the Formula Regional Middle East driving for the Mumbai Falcons team, winning the title and obtaining the points necessary for the FIA Super License. For the rest of the year he signed up for the European Formula Regional with the Prema team, obtaining his fourth title in as many categories contested.
F1 together with Mercedes
Mercedes is one of the teams that has made recent Formula 1 history, dominating the first phase of the hybrid era with eight constructors’ titles. Antonelli joined Junior Team in 2019, while this year it was part of the test program with the team. Today, the Italian can celebrate his promotion to the big leagues, on the biggest stage in the world, alongside George Russell. A heavy and courageous investiture, but there is no lack of talent in a boy who has always shown that he can forge ahead with absolute merit.
