Mercedes to announce second driver at Monza

Mercedes has made its decision for 2025: Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be their new full-time driver. This announcement, which could be made official during the Monza Grand Prix in September, comes from Autosprint, a well-informed Italian media outlet. The German team seems to have been convinced by the recent performances of the young Italian prodigy, currently a junior driver at Prema.

Successful tests for Antonelli

Andrea Kimi Antonelli has participated in several tests for Mercedes in recent weeks at Imola, the Red Bull Ring, and more recently at the demanding Spa-Francorchamps circuit, behind the wheel of the W13 as part of the TPC (Previous Cars Testing) program. These tests have allowed the driver to get acquainted with driving a Formula 1 car, a crucial step in evaluating his suitability to join the elite. Toto Wolff, team principal, emphasized the importance of these tests in determining whether a young driver is ready for Formula 1.

Wolff declared: “We sometimes forget how young we were at 17. My lack of maturity would have prevented me from making clear decisions in such a competitive environment. What I expect from Kimi is for him to make mistakes, learn from them, and continue to progress. What he has shown so far is encouraging, even if judging a driver in F2 remains difficult.”

A rapid ascent in Formula 2

Antonelli’s performances in Formula 2 have not gone unnoticed. The young driver is having an impressive rookie season, marked by notable victories, particularly in the rain at Silverstone during the sprint race, and at the Hungaroring in the main race thanks to a daring strategy. These results have strengthened Mercedes’ confidence in him, despite Wolff’s statements a few weeks ago asserting that Antonelli still needed to learn and gain experience before being ready for Formula 1.

Kimi did a good job. It was a dominant victory, he was really strong and he deserved it. We never doubted his pace, but he still has to learn tyre management and other aspects. This victory allowed him to assert himself, he declared after his driver’s victory in Budapest.

These performances also boosted Antonelli’s confidence, who had recently expressed doubts about his preparation for Formula 1, particularly because he skipped the F3 championship and does not yet have the required age to drive in F1, as he will only be 18 years old on August 25th.

« The pressure was mounting weekend after weekend with all the discussions. Silverstone was a great relief for me. Even this victory in Hungary on a dry track is an excellent result for all of us.

With 87 points scored this season, Antonelli has become the leader of Prema, a team struggling to compete at the top this season. His teammate, Oliver Bearman, future Haas driver, is having an even more difficult season with only 34 points scored since the beginning of the season.

The speed and determination of Antonelli have convinced Mercedes, especially since the Max Verstappen file seems to be at a standstill. For now, everything suggests that it will be Antonelli and George Russell who will form the Mercedes duo in 2025, a choice that reflects the team’s confidence in the future of their young Italian talent.