Kimi Antonelli ready to deal with F1 pressure – but insists he doesn’t want to be seen as Hamilton’s ‘replacement’

Kimi Antonelli says he feels ready to cope with the pressure that will come with moving up to Formula 1 in 2025 – but insists he doesn't want to be seen as a "replacement" for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.

After much speculation, it was confirmed on the eve of the Italian Grand Prix that Antonelli will fill the vacant seat left by Ferrari-bound Hamilton next season, with the 18-year-old set to partner George Russell at the squad.

ANALYSIS: Why Mercedes chose to take a risk and sign 18-year-old Antonelli for 2025

The news came just one day after the teenager made his F1 weekend debut by getting behind the wheel of Russell’s W15 in first practice at Monza, a session that did not end as planned when he crashed in the opening 10 minutes.

While the incident drew much scrutiny, Antonelli – who has been supported by Mercedes from the early stages of his career – is confident that he can handle the pressure that being in the sport will bring.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli chats Mercedes promotion from 2025

“I think one of the main factors [in dealing with pressure] is when you know you have a team like Mercedes around you that really believe in you, and they’ve been believing in me since a very young age,” Antonelli explained following the news of his signing.

“They really help you to cope with this pressure very well, and even though sometimes I still don’t cope with that perfectly, I still get the right support from Mercedes but also from my family, so I’m really happy to be with them and really happy with the support they’ve been giving me, not only in the past but also nowadays.”

Another factor that has shone the spotlight on Antonelli is the fact that he will be stepping into Hamilton’s seat, with the seven-time world champion bringing his long relationship with Mercedes to a close.

Pushed on how he is dealing with the idea of replacing Hamilton, Antonelli responded: “I think it’s not possible to replace Lewis Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and Andrea Kimi Antonelli before first practice ahead of the Formula 1 — Antonelli is grateful for the support he has received from the Mercedes team, including Hamilton

“He’s such a great figure in the sport of today, and he has achieved so much in his career, so I don’t want to [be seen] as his replacement – I’m just the next driver for Mercedes in ’25, so I’m really excited for that.

“He’s a really great guy, he has been giving me some support so, yeah, really happy.”

EXCLUSIVE: ‘No one can ever replace Lewis’ – Antonelli on stepping into Hamilton’s shoes and his rapid rise to F1 stardom

Ahead of his Formula 1 debut, Antonelli will continue to participate in his private F1 test programme for Mercedes alongside completing his season in Formula 2, where he currently sits in sixth place of the drivers’ standings.

The Italian is also set to make another FP1 appearance before concluding the year by taking part in the Abu Dhabi end-of-season young driver test.