Mercedes locked in Kimi Antonelli before the world knew Lewis Hamilton was leaving. Toto Wolff summoned the teenager to his Silverstone office in February 2024, ahead of Ferrari's announcement, and cut to the point: "Lewis is going to Ferrari and we were thinking to put you in the car for next year." Antonelli was testing F3, fresh off a Formula Regional title, and hadn't started F2. "I had still so much to prove," he said. Wolff asked if he'd be ready; the only answer was yes. Mercedes spent the year running Antonelli through F1 tests before going public. He crashed five laps into his Monza practice debut, but the decision was made months earlier. Antonelli leads the championship now, validating a choice Wolff locked in before most of the paddock knew the seat was open.
Read the full story at RaceFansMERCEDES TOLD ANTONELLI HE WOULD GET F1 CHANCE BEFORE HAMILTON’S EXIT WAS ANNOUNCED
Mercedes locked in Kimi Antonelli before the world knew Lewis Hamilton was leaving. Toto Wolff summoned the teenager to his Silverstone office in February 2024, ahead of Ferrari's announcement, and cut to the point: "Lewis is going to Ferrari and we were thinking to put you in the car for next year." Antonelli was testing F3, fresh off a Formula Regional title, and hadn't started F2. "I had still so much to prove," he said. Wolff asked if he'd be ready; the only answer was yes. Mercedes spent the year running Antonelli through F1 tests before going public. He crashed five laps into his Monza practice debut, but the decision was made months earlier. Antonelli leads the championship now, validating a choice Wolff locked in before most of the paddock knew the seat was open.
