Mercedes have a new driver pairing in 2025 (Image: Getty)
will step into the F1 paddock as a full-time driver for the first time in Melbourne next month, but the Italian’s first trip into a racetrack came under much more intriguing circumstances.
The 18-year-old has been a member of the junior team since his karting days and turned heads with his performances in the Italian F4, Formula Regional and Formula Two championships before called upon him to replace the -bound .
However, Antonelli’s first trip into the paddock occurred over a decade ago, in 2014, when he was just seven years old. He explained his cheeky plot to the : “It was Hockenheim in 2014. I couldn’t get into the paddock because I was too little.”
Fortunately for Antonelli, his father, Marco, was racing in the Porsche Supercup series at the track that weekend. He continued: “My Dad decided to hide me inside a stack of tyres and wheel me through on a trolley.
“We put an umbrella on top to make me harder to see. I got through and into the pit lane, and my dad’s friend got me a pass. I had a look around for an hour, and it was such a cool experience – but we always laugh at the story of the trolley.”
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Kimi Antonelli first entered the paddock as a seven-year-old (Image: Getty)
Antonelli’s rookie season is one of the most anticipated in modern history. The Bologna-born racer made an instant impact in his first FP1 session in Monza last season, setting the fastest lap with his first effort, and then crashed at the Parabolica while pushing hard on his second.
A steadier outing in Mexico showed progress, setting Antonelli up for his Grand Prix debut at the Australian Grand Prix. He has enjoyed an extensive TPC (testing of previous cars) programme to get up to speed over the winter and will benefit from the guidance of team-mate and returning test and reserve driver Valtteri Bottas.
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For Bottas, coaching Antonelli will be a key part of his new role. “Part of the role of Valtteri will be to have a look on Kimi,” Wolff told . “Be there to coach, be there to have an eye on what’s happening on the track. And Kimi is going to learn from Valtteri and from George.”
Despite the extreme hype, Wolff is tempering expectations for Antonelli’s rookie year. After all, just 12 months ago, he was coming off a dual campaign driving Formula Four machinery, and he is now tasked with replacing Hamilton, a seven-time world champion.