Mercedes Chief Reveals Kimi Antonelli Risk Ahead Of F1 Rookie Debut

Andrea Kimi Antonelli's 2025 Formula 1 debut with Mercedes, alongside George Russell, is seen as a transitional year focused on development and preparation for regulatory changes in 2026.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Toto Wolff | 2024 Italian Grand Prix, Friday - Jiri Krenek /

Rising star Andrea Kimi Antonelli is poised to enter his Formula 1 rookie season as he joins Mercedes for 2025, partnering with George Russell. This change comes as the team bids farewell to Lewis Hamilton, who will be heading to Ferrari.

Antonelli, known for his rapid ascent through the racing ranks, skipped over Formula 3 and has only completed a single season in Formula 2. His entry into F1 is highly anticipated, albeit filled with both expectations and risks acknowledged by Mercedes' team boss Toto Wolff.

For the 18-year-old Italian driver, the 2025 season is meant to be a learning experience with Wollf claiming:

“We need to wait to look at it, 2025 same regulations you can see that the pecking order varies depending on the track and the opportunities there to fight for victories, if we can do that we can fight for a title.

“It’s also going to be a year where George [Russell] will settle in as being a senior driver and Kimi will rip our hair out, other times we will see moments of brilliance.

“It’s a year of managing expectations for Kimi, preparing our driver line-up for 2026.”

Andrea Kimi Antonelli impressed early on in his motorsport career by winning titles in the Italian and ADAC F4 championships in 2022, followed by triumphs in the Formula Regional Middle East Championship and the Formula Regional European Championship in 2023. His entry into F1 makes him one of the youngest drivers to ever compete, placing him among renowned names including Max Verstappen.

This coming 2025 season is being viewed by Mercedes as a transitional phase, largely due to the pending 2026 regulatory changes. The intention is to help the Italian driver to adapt to Formula 1 without the immediate pressure of securing pole positions or race wins. Wolff reiterated that fans should manage their expectations:

“We want to prepare Andrea for 2026.

“If you expect him [Antonelli] to be on pole position in Melbourne, win the race and immediately compete for the championship, then the risk is high because that won't happen.

“If we take into account that he is only 18-years-old, very talented, but needs to grow and make mistakes first, the risk is less.

“We see 2025 as a year of transition and we want to prepare him for 2026, when everything will restart again for everyone.”

Antonelli has already faced some challenges in his brief exposure to F1 during practice sessions. At the Italian Grand Prix, he made headlines, albeit for crashing during the first practice session. However, his initial lap times showcased his potential, with Wolff commenting on his "astonishing" speed.

2025 Formula One Season Schedule

Pre-Season Testing

• Dates: 26-28 Feb
• Location: Bahrain, Sakhir
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 ARAMCO PRE-SEASON TESTING 2025
• Circuit: Pre-Season Testing

Australia

• Dates: 14-16 Mar
• Location: Australia, Melbourne
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2025
• Circuit: Melbourne circuit

China

• Dates: 21-23 Mar
• Location: China, Shanghai
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN CHINESE GRAND PRIX 2025
• Circuit: Shanghai circuit

Japan

• Dates: 04-06 Apr
• Location: Japan, Suzuka
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 LENOVO JAPANESE GRAND PRIX 2025
• Circuit: Suzuka circuit

Bahrain

• Dates: 11-13 Apr
• Location: Bahrain, Sakhir
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX 2025
• Circuit: Sakhir circuit

Saudi Arabia

• Dates: 18-20 Apr
• Location: Saudi Arabia, Jeddah
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 STC SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX 2025
• Circuit: Jeddah circuit

Miami

• Dates: 02-04 May
• Location: Miami, Miami
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX 2025
• Circuit: Miami circuit

Emilia-Romagna

• Dates: 16-18 May
• Location: Emilia-Romagna, Imola
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 AWS GRAN PREMIO DEL MADE IN ITALY E DELL'EMILIA-ROMAGNA 2025
• Circuit: Imola circuit

Monaco

• Dates: 23-25 May
• Location: Monaco, Monaco
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE MONACO 2025
• Circuit: Monaco circuit

Spain

• Dates: 30 May-01 Jun
• Location: Spain, Barcelona
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 ARAMCO GRAN PREMIO DE ESPAÑA 2025
• Circuit: Barcelona circuit

Canada

• Dates: 13-15 Jun
• Location: Canada, Montréal
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 PIRELLI GRAND PRIX DU CANADA 2025
• Circuit: Montréal circuit

Austria

• Dates: 27-29 Jun
• Location: Austria, Spielberg
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 MSC CRUISES AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX 2025
• Circuit: Spielberg circuit

Great Britain

• Dates: 04-06 Jul
• Location: Great Britain, Silverstone
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS BRITISH GRAND PRIX 2025
• Circuit: Silverstone circuit

Belgium

• Dates: 25-27 Jul
• Location: Belgium, Spa-Francorchamps
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX 2025
• Circuit: Spa-Francorchamps circuit

Hungary

• Dates: 01-03 Aug
• Location: Hungary, Budapest
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 LENOVO HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX 2025
• Circuit: Budapest circuit

Netherlands

• Dates: 29-31 Aug
• Location: Netherlands, Zandvoort
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN DUTCH GRAND PRIX 2025
• Circuit: Zandvoort circuit

Italy

• Dates: 05-07 Sep
• Location: Italy, Monza
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 PIRELLI GRAN PREMIO D’ITALIA 2025
• Circuit: Monza circuit

Azerbaijan

• Dates: 19-21 Sep
• Location: Azerbaijan, Baku
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX 2025
• Circuit: Baku circuit

Singapore

• Dates: 03-05 Oct
• Location: Singapore, Marina Bay
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX 2025
• Circuit: Marina Bay circuit

United States

• Dates: 17-19 Oct
• Location: United States, Austin
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 MSC CRUISES UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX 2025
• Circuit: Austin circuit

Mexico

• Dates: 24-26 Oct
• Location: Mexico, Mexico City
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO 2025
• Circuit: Mexico City circuit

Brazil

• Dates: 07-09 Nov
• Location: Brazil, São Paulo
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 MSC CRUISES GRANDE PRÊMIO DE SÃO PAULO 2025
• Circuit: São Paulo circuit

Las Vegas

• Dates: 20-22 Nov
• Location: Las Vegas, Las Vegas
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN SILVER LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX 2025
• Circuit: Las Vegas circuit

Qatar

• Dates: 28-30 Nov
• Location: Qatar, Lusail
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS QATAR GRAND PRIX 2025
• Circuit: Lusail circuit

Abu Dhabi

• Dates: 05-07 Dec
• Location: Abu Dhabi, Yas Island
• Event Name: FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX 2025
• Circuit: Yas Island circuit