Ever since he was announced as an official driver for 2025, all of Italy erupted: finally, after several years, an Italian returns to F1 at the wheel of one of the most competitive cars. As revealed some time ago, Andrea Kimi Antonelli came very close to signing a contract with Ferrari before falling under the wing of Toto Wolff—was it the right move? Here’s the opinion of a former driver.
From the first Grands Prix of this season, he amazed everyone. At just eighteen years old, taking over for none other than Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, he has shown himself to be a worthy successor to that seat. His apprenticeship path has gone—and continues to go—excellently. Just recall what he did in Melbourne, the opening race, in truly terrible conditions.
A first major achievement came a few races later, during the Miami weekend, where Kimi Antonelli secured his first pole position for the sprint race. Then came Canada, a circuit he had never raced on before. There, keeping calm and defending masterfully against the two McLaren cars behind him, Kimi climbed onto the podium for the first time.
He really impressed everyone, including former Formula 1 driver Jarno Trulli, who in an interview with La Stampa had kind words to share. “Drivers from our country had been missing from Formula 1 for quite a while. Kimi gave us real satisfaction. He’s a driver who reached the top not only thanks to financial backing but also due to talent and the growth enabled by Mercedes.”
“A win from him? I hope so—he doesn’t make big mistakes, and that’s essential. He just needs to learn the tracks, understand the potential of a car he already manages very well, and grow without rushing, as Toto Wolff allows him to do. Debuting in a top team wasn’t easy, but he did it extremely well.”
In the final part, the Ferrari topic was discussed. As reported a few months ago by his father, Marco Antonelli, Kimi was contacted by the Scuderia Ferrari but ultimately turned down due to his age. “Is it a regret to have lost him? For Ferrari fans, yes—for him, no… ending up at Mercedes was his stroke of luck. In life, just like in a driver’s career, luck is essential. Money alone isn’t enough to win—I’m proof of that; I was in the right place at the right time.”
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