Julien Fébreau confirms Kimi Antonelli’s signing with Mercedes

As rumors continued to swirl about the identity of the driver who will join Mercedes for the 2025 season, Julien Fébreau and Canal+ seem to put an end to the suspense. During the first free practice session, the sports commentator confirmed that the young Italian driver Kimi Antonelli has indeed signed a contract with the team and that the official announcement should come in a few days. « We are able to confirm it on Canal+, Kimi Antonelli has signed his contract with Mercedes. It’s Kimi Antonelli who will be the driver alongside George Russell in 2025,” he announced during the broadcast.

This announcement is not a real surprise for those who diligently follow the Formula 1 transfer season. The 17-year-old driver, already considered one of the many talents in motorsport, was expected to join the team for several months now. According to information released by several media outlets, the official announcement was initially supposed to be made during the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. This was also confirmed by Julien Fébreau. This information will be officially announced next week in Monza. As of today, August 23, it is planned that Kimi Antonelli will be confirmed next Saturday, he added.

The Italian Grand Prix seems to be the perfect place to announce this news, given that Kimi Antonelli is an Italian driver. This would mark a moment of national pride for Italy. Especially since Kimi Antonelli is expected to take part in the first free practice session in Monza. Mercedes, as indicated by the FIA regulations, is required to field its rookie drivers in two free practice sessions during the season. With few races remaining, Monza represents a perfect opportunity to unveil its new driver, as having Kimi Antonelli participate in FP1 would almost be an official announcement.