What Kimi Antonelli ‘understood’ immediately during his first Mercedes F1 test this year

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Excitement is already building among Mercedes Formula 1 fans for the beginning of next season.

After more than a decade and six world championships, Lewis Hamilton will be lining up on the grid with one of Mercedes’s rivals.

Ferrari have poached Formula 1’s most successful driver for 2025 and that has opened up an opportunity for Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli will be one of at least three rookies on the grid next season alongside Oliver Bearman and Jack Doohan with Liam Lawson expected to join them as well.

However, the most attention will almost certainly be on the young Italian who could immediately have a race-winning car at his disposal.

George Russell will step up to lead the team but Antonelli will know he needs to get close to the Brit immediately to justify Toto Wolff’s decision to promote him.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Mercedes AMG F1 Team from team principal to lineage

In a report from Motorsport.com, Antonelli’s first F1 test day with Mercedes was closely examined.

The 18-year-old has done a huge amount of testing in pre-2022 F1 cars this year behind the scenes.

Antonelli has admitted facing some difficulties during these tests, but his performances did enough to convince senior Mercedes personnel that he was ready for his chance next year.

The Italian admitted that he was immediately surprised by just how many people were involved in the running of a Formula 1 car.

It highlights how much pressure is on a driver, given how many people depend on them to succeed.

As Antonelli’s first public run in a Formula 1 showed when he crashed within the first 10 minutes of FP1 at the Italian Grand Prix.

What Kimi Antonelli immediately ‘understood’ during his first Formula 1 test with Mercedes

The report from Motorsport talks about Antonelli’s first two days in an F1 car and the different challenges he faced.

On his opening stint in the car, he faced snowy conditions before having to run in the wet.

He was joined by his parents at the test and they watched on as he got to grips with the fastest car he had ever driven.

READ MORE: Who is 2025 Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli? Everything to know

After the session, Antonelli then said: “You know what became clear to me after today?

“I’ve understood why there are a thousand people working to get a Formula 1 car onto the track.”

Antonelli is always going to have a huge number of eyes on his every move in the paddock, even when he’s driving during private tests.

The number of journalists that attended his unveiling at Mercedes before his pit box was flooded with photographers before his outing in Monza highlights the interest in the early stages of his career.

Why Toto Wolff didn’t want Antonelli to make his F1 debut with Williams before Mercedes

Scrutiny on Antonelli is only going to increase the closer he gets to his full debut at the Australian Grand Prix next year.

Mercedes will likely run him in at least one more FP1 practice before the end of the season and will hope he can do a full hour’s running this time around.

However, when Logan Sargeant was dropped by Williams, Antonelli could have taken his seat.

Williams and Mercedes have a close relationship and Russell honed his craft with the Grove-based team for three years before finally joining Hamilton at the Silver Arrows.

Wolff didn’t want Antonelli to race for Williams before joining Mercedes, but only time will tell whether that was the right decision.

James Vowles won’t be too upset, given how well Franco Colapinto has done since his debut in Monza.

Wolff regretted how much time Russell spent at Williams, and that might have played a part in his thinking.

Hamilton’s final six races at Mercedes will be emotional, but there’s plenty of excitement about what’s coming next with Antonelli behind the wheel.