At just 18 years old, Kimi Antonelli is being thrown into the deep end. The Italian is tasked with competing for podiums and even victories – putting him in direct competition with the most elite in F1.
To help facilitate his adaptation, Valtteri Bottas will work closely with Antonelli over the course of 2025.
Mercedes put all their faith in Kimi Antonelli
Antonelli is the first Mercedes junior driver to join the main team with such limited experience.
After just one season in Formula 2 (having skipped Formula 3), the 18-year-old will make his F1 debut with the Silver Arrows.
George Russell, who was also a very highly rated prospect, spent three years at Williams before making the step up.
The situation will be very different for Antonelli, who will be judged against the likes of Verstappen, Hamilton and Leclerc in his first year.
Despite this high-pressure environment, Toto Wolff is fully committed to the Italian’s development.
Mercedes have held several tests with Antonelli over the last twelve months, accumulating significant mileage in F1 machinery.
Having famously missed out on Max Verstappen’s signature 10 years ago, Wolff has been desperate to avoid this mistake with his academy star.
Bottas will help Antonelli to adapt
To help with Antonelli’s first F1 season, Valtteri Bottas will work closely with the 18-year-old.
“I think mentor is not too far off [what I will be],” he told Sky Sport’s Craig Slater.
“When you’re a rookie, when you join the sport, there’s so many new things you’ve got to learn.
“Yeah, I definitely can help with that. My job is to try and help the team as best I can.”
Alongside his efforts to secure an F1 comeback in 2026, Valtteri Bottas will have an intense schedule with Mercedes.
Bottas will be working intensely at the team factory in Brackley, contributing to 2025 and even 2026 development.
The 10-time race winner’s experience will be an invaluable asset for Antonelli, who must learn quickly in the W16:
“Of course, Kimi is a rookie. So he will probably have more questions than George.
“And yeah, the team will have an extra pair of eyes during the race weekend – looking at the data, looking at the driving line, stuff like that.
“I’ll be involved in all the meetings, technical stuff, can help a lot in the simulator.
“So it’s going to be a busy year. A different one for me, but looking forward.”
No turning back
On paper, Mercedes signed Kimi Antonelli because of their overwhelming belief in his talent. This is certainly true.
The team wouldn’t have made the decision for the 18-year-old to completely skip F3 and jump into F2 cars if they weren’t confident in his speed.
With that said, mitigating circumstances (Hamilton’s departure, a lack of short-term alternatives) probably put the Italian into the team faster than initially planned.
Because of this, Mercedes will be willing to stomach rookie mistakes and general inconsistencies as Antonelli adapts.
They have already invested far too much in his career to backtrack on their decision. To be clear, Antonelli is more than capable of challenging Russell from the first round in Australia.
His junior career, including his performance in F2 against teammate Oliver Bearman, speak volumes.
Still, it is worth noting that – regardless of the 18-year-old’s initial results – Mercedes are ready to give him time.
