{"id":875543,"date":"2026-08-29T07:36:28","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T07:36:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/875543\/"},"modified":"2026-08-29T07:36:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T07:36:28","slug":"mercedes-told-antonelli-he-would-get-f1-chance-before-hamiltons-exit-was-announced-racefans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/875543\/","title":{"rendered":"Mercedes told Antonelli he would get F1 chance before Hamilton\u2019s exit was announced \u2013 RaceFans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Andrea Kimi Antonelli<\/a> has revealed how quickly Mercedes reacted to Lewis Hamilton\u2019s decision to leave the team at the beginning of 2024.<\/p>\n

The world championship leader said he first learned Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff intended to promote him to the team before Hamilton\u2019s decision to join Ferrari was announced.<\/p>\n

Ferrari announced Hamilton would join them in February 2024. Antonelli said Mercedes told him of their decision shortly beforehand.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s 2024, the year I\u2019m turning 18, it\u2019s February, I was in Silverstone,\u201d he said in a recent interview for one of the team\u2019s sponsors<\/a>. \u201cI was testing Formula 3 to learn the track, because I was going to race there with Formula 2.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember at the end of the day, Toto called me over to his office. And already there, I was a bit confused, because I\u2019m like, [this] doesn\u2019t really happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I got into his office. Obviously, it\u2019s Toto, there\u2019s Rosa [Herrero Venegas, PR manager] and she\u2019s the one helping me during race weekends.<\/p>\n

\u201cToto, first of all, didn\u2019t waste any time, went straight to the point and it was like this was even before Lewis was announced. To Ferrari. So he said, look, Lewis is going to Ferrari and we were thinking to put you in the car for next year. And I\u2019m like, \u2018whoa\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Antonelli had won the Formula Regional European Championship the year before. \u201cMy eyes were wide open and I was like, \u2018are you kidding me?\u2019 Because I hadn\u2019t even started F2.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I had still so much to prove that I could earn that spot. And Toto was already talking about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wolff asked Antonelli if he would be ready for the opportunity. \u201cI said, yeah, I\u2019ve got to be ready,\u201d Antonelli recalled.<\/p>\n

Mercedes began a programme of F1 tests for Antonelli that year, culminating in his first appearance in an official practice session at Monza. Although Antonelli crashed five laps into the session<\/a>, the following day Mercedes announced he would take Hamilton\u2019s place in 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However Antonelli had already learned of Mercedes\u2019 decision long before that weekend.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe official announcement came just at the start of summer break. It was, I think, just the start of August, probably, first day of August. I was at home with my family, and Toto organised this call, and where there were also all the big names from Mercedes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was James Allison [technical director], Gwen Lagrue, who was the one who took me in the junior programme. There was Bradley [Lord], Rosa again, there was all of the big ones. Toto in the call went straight to the point and said he\u2019s going to be our driver for next year. And it was an incredible moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Formula 1
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