Italian GP: Kimi Antonelli Crashes Out Of FP1 Amid Lewis Hamilton Replacement Hopes

Andrea Kimi Antonelli crashes out of Free Practice 1 during the Italian Grand Prix weekend.

2024 Spanish Grand Prix, Thursday / LAT Images

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the 18-year-old racing sensation currently linked with Mercedes, experienced a high-speed crash that red-flagged the Italian GP Free Practice 1 session.

The incident, which unfolded at the notorious Parabolica turn, saw Antonelli lose control, sending the W15 careening into the barrier. Remarkably, he exited the vehicle unharmed and was able to walk away.

At the time of the crash, 49 minutes remained in the session, and Antonelli's mishap triggered a red flag, necessitating a significant pause to mend barriers and clear the debris off the track. Mercedes chief Toto Wolff was quick to come onto the team radio to reassure the young driver, commenting:

"Kimi, all good. All good."

Before the incident, the Italian driver was making a notable impression, having clocked a lap time of 1:23.955 on soft tires, which positioned him competitively early in the session.

Antonelli into the wall! 💥

It's a high-speed spin into the barrier at Parabolica for the youngster, who reports over the radio that he's OK.

The red flags are out 🔴#F1 #ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/aQQQPqjaeb

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 30, 2024

This comes during the weekend that it is expected that Mercedes will be making the announcement that Antonelli will replace seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton at the team in 2025 as the British driver makes his way to Ferrari.

Before the interruption, Lewis Hamilton was leading the timesheets closely followed by Lando Norris and Valtteri Bottas.

Antonelli went straight to the medical center to be signed off due to the impact of the crash.

Mercedes chief of communications Bradley Lord commented during the Sky Sports F1 broadcast:

"We’re literally just getting the car back as we speak. It was a pretty hefty impact at high-speed corner. 

"Kimi’s still down at the medical centre just being checked out making sure everything’s ok. We’ll assess the car and hopefully have it turned around for FP2. 

"It’s unfortunate it ended the way it did. But he was on the limit, pushing the limit from lap one, that’s always good to see and it’s all part of the learning curve."