Formula 1 newcomer Andrea Kimi Antonelli reveals that he was able to dispel any doubts during the test in Spa, convincing Mercedes of his abilities.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli cites his Formula 1 test at Spa before the summer break as a decisive moment that convinced Mercedes to give him a cockpit for 2025. There, he was able to address his biggest weakness in the previous tests and thus recommend himself for the job.
“During the tests, they were particularly impressed by how quickly I reached the limit and matched Mercedes’ target lap times,” Antonelli told “Il Festival dello Sport,” organized by La Gazzetta dello Sport, recently.
“However, I have to say that my biggest problem was my race pace,” the Italian admits. ”But on the last two days of testing at Spa, I improved my race pace considerably, which led Mercedes to sign me.”
“Up until that moment, they had the idea of putting me in the Mercedes cockpit in 2025, but they wanted to see if I could improve these weaknesses. At the test in Spa, I took a big step forward and that convinced them.”
Antonelli had long been touted as a potential successor to Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. Early tests in older Formula 1 cars left little doubt about his raw speed and ability to deliver fast lap times. However, he initially lacked consistency over the race distance.
Progress at Spa brought the decision
But with the aforementioned progress in Spa, he was also able to prove that. “There I took a step forward in terms of feeling for the tires and tire degradation, as well as consistent pace, which is crucial in a race,” explains the aspiring Formula 1 driver.
Shortly before the summer break, he finally received a call from team principal Toto Wolff, his engineer and other Mercedes representatives. “They told me that I would be one of their drivers for 2025. That was a special moment.”
Nevertheless, Mercedes is dampening expectations for Antonelli, especially after a difficult start to the Monza free practice session, which ended in an accident after just ten minutes. But Antonelli is ambitious and sets himself high goals as a rookie.
The young Italian confidently explains: “I feel ready for Formula 1. I’m not worried about speed. The biggest challenge will be to manage the weekend in the best possible way and learn all the processes. There will be a lot to learn, but I feel ready.”
“Winning a few races would be a dream. It won’t be easy because all the teams will have competitive cars, but that’s the goal. A few podiums would also be good, but the main goal is to bring home some victories.”
Preparing with a steering wheel and simulator at home
To prepare for the challenges of a Formula One weekend, Antonelli uses a combination of intensive training and a simulator at home.
He knows: “It will be important to learn not to be distracted, not to lose concentration when someone from the pits speaks to you, because they do it to give you useful information. During the tests, people talk to me more and more, because in Formula 1 it is important to learn the procedures.”
“So when you’re asked to make a change, you have to know which button to press on the steering wheel and what it does. These are all things that I’m learning and getting used to. So I’m not just doing the tests to improve as a driver, but also to get used to the processes.”
To this end, Mercedes will also provide Antonelli with a real Formula One steering wheel and a small simulator for his home. “So that I can practice race starts,” reveals the young Italian. “The steering wheel is a Formula One one.”
“It will help me memorize the buttons, because at high speeds you don’t have time to look at the steering wheel, you have to know it by heart. So they will send me this simulator not only to learn how to start, but also to memorize the buttons.”