The F1 world is in for a shake-up: Kimi Antonelli, the 18-year-old prodigy, is stepping into the spotlight as Lewis Hamilton exits Mercedes for Ferrari. 

It’s a bold move from the Silver Arrows, placing their faith in a young Italian talent who’s been groomed for greatness since joining their junior program at just 12. Antonelli’s rapid rise through the ranks—dominating in karting, excelling in Italian F4, and leaping straight from F4 to F2 without a pit stop in F3—has now catapulted him into one of the most coveted seats in motorsport. And all this before he’s even legally allowed a celebratory glass of champagne.

Though his F2 record shows only a couple of feature race wins, Mercedes has clearly seen enough to green-light this next chapter, brushing aside seasoned alternatives. It’s a gutsy call, especially considering Antonelli’s soon-to-be teammate, George Russell—a driver who slogged through three years at Williams before earning his star status at Mercedes. A proper F1 apprenticeship, that.

Antonelli isn’t shying away from the challenge. “It’s an amazing feeling to be announced as a Mercedes works driver alongside George for 2025,” he said. “Reaching F1 has been my dream since I was a small boy, and I’m grateful to the team for the support and faith they’ve shown in me. I’m still learning, but I feel ready to deliver the best results for the team.”

Of course, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing. During free practice at Monza, Antonelli gave us a glimpse of his raw pace, setting the fastest time on his first flying lap. But he also offered a reminder of his youth, ending his second run embedded in the Parabolica barriers with a bruising 45G impact. A spectacular shunt, but fortunately, he walked away unscathed.

Team boss Toto Wolff remains unfazed. “Kimi has consistently shown the talent and speed needed to compete at the very top of our sport,” he said. “We know it will be another big step up, but his performances in testing this year have been impressive, and we’ll be with him every step of the way.”

Last time a young hotshot jumped straight into a competitive car, things went rather well. You might remember the name: Max Verstappen, anyone?