2025 Mercedes F1 Driver Makes Shocking Admission Ahead Of Rookie Season

Saajan Jogia | 4 Hours Ago

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

While one could expect all F1 drivers to be excellent drivers behind the wheel of their personal cars, it might come as a shock to many that 2025 Mercedes Formula 1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli hasn't got a driving license. Currently racing in F2, the 18-year-old admitted he is preparing for his driving test to ensure he has a license before beginning his journey in the premier class of motorsport.

Following Lewis Hamilton's bombshell announcement of signing with Ferrari in February, which is effective in 2025, Mercedes was on the hunt for the ideal replacement alongside George Russell. However, team principal Toto Wolff recently claimed that he had made up his mind soon after Hamilton's Ferrari revelation that he wanted to sign Antonelli as the next Mercedes driver.

The Italian junior's Mercedes appointment was confirmed at his home circuit at Monza during the Italian Grand Prix weekend, where he displayed an impressive pace during his FP1 outing for the first few minutes until losing control of the W15 F1 car and crashing into the barriers. While Mercedes remains prepared for such rookie errors, Antonelli has other priorities on his mind, before he begins his F1 role. Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, he said:

"I don't have a driver's license yet!

"I do have a Ligier Microcar at home, but it has quite a bit of damage.

"It feels a bit strange to start in F1 without a driver's license, but I just hope to pass my practical exam in December."

Considering his recent crash at Monza, Wolff admitted that Mercedes wasn't entirely right by scheduling his first run at his home circuit. He told Motorsport.com:

"I wouldn't say it was a mistake, but I think we weren't completely right in assessing the pressures that he could find himself under.

"Why that is, is that we talked about it, and how to approach the session. He has been brilliant in testing. He has never put a single foot wrong in the many thousands of kilometres that he's done.

"But it's a different ball game if you're an Italian driver, you're 18 years old in Monza and it's your first opportunity.

"Maybe if we had considered that as a risk factor against the set of data we had from him, probably it would have been wise to give him an FP1 that would have been in a totally different time zone than Italy. But he will learn a lot from that."