Italian Teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli Enjoys First F1 Test with Mercedes

Italian teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli had a dream come true as he enjoyed his first experience driving an F1 car with Mercedes at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. The 17-year-old, who is currently competing in his debut season of Formula 2, had the opportunity to drive Mercedes’ 2021 championship-winning car as part of a wider program to familiarize himself with F1 machinery.

In a video shared on social media, Antonelli expressed his excitement, calling the experience “incredible” and thanking the team for their hard work. Despite facing some challenges with the weather on the first day, Antonelli managed to complete 500km on the second day and described it as “really good fun.”

Having been a part of the Mercedes junior driver program since he was 12 years old, Antonelli has been making waves in the motorsport world with consistent title-winning performances in various single-seater series. Skipping F3 altogether, Antonelli is currently racing in F2 with the Prema team alongside teammate Oliver Bearman.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff confirmed that they had planned an F1 testing program for Antonelli with older machinery, with the aim of giving him a feel for what a top-tier car is like before potentially moving him to the 2022 car. Wolff praised Bearman’s impressive performance as a stand-in driver at the Saudi Arabian GP and expressed confidence in Antonelli’s abilities.

As speculation grows about who will replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025, Wolff has mentioned Antonelli as a contender for the seat but emphasized the need to manage expectations for the young driver. With Max Verstappen and other experienced drivers also in the mix, the decision remains open.

Fans can catch the action as the Chinese Grand Prix returns this weekend, including the first Sprint of the season, on Sky Sports F1. The race is set to take place on Sunday at 8am, with coverage of all the sessions leading up to the main event.