F1 2024

[Martini]

Antonelli beats Russell at Silverstone and convinces everyone: he will be in Mercedes in 2025

In the tests at Silverstone, the Bolognese driver impressed by swaying the vote of the Mercedes board.

No F1 already in 2024, but debuting in 2025 directly with Mercedes: the future of Andrea Kimi Antonelli seems to have definitively taken shape, promising a bright future for Italian motor racing.

In addition to Ferrari and Racing Bulls, Italy will have another driver on the starting grid in a top team currently facing challenges but expected to lead in the performance of the 2026 power unit.

According to today's edition of Il Corriere dello Sport, Andrea Kimi Antonelli definitively convinced the Mercedes board by excelling in a private test at Silverstone, where George Russell, Mick Schumacher, and Antonelli took turns at the wheel.

The newspaper wrote:

“The three drivers drove a 2022 Mercedes W13 and took turns following an identical work program – we read in the Italian sports newspaper – Antonelli went as fast as Russell in qualifying setup (little petrol and soft tyres) and slightly better than him on the race pace . Russell tried to extend his stay on the track to prevent the Bolognese from returning to the wheel. In vain."