F1 News
Wolff confirms: Antonelli will replace Hamilton ahead of Mexican GP
- Nicole Mulder
Mercedes has confirmed Andrea Kimi Antonelli will drive Lewis Hamilton's car during the first free practice session for the Mexican Grand Prix. This forms part of the mandatory free practice sessions for rookie drivers. Hamilton will move to Ferrari during the winter break, and the 18-year-old will replace the seven-time World Champion in 2025.
Antonelli replaces Hamilton in FP1 in Mexico
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff confirms that Antonelli will be in action during FP1 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. "With its high altitude, Mexico presents a unique challenge. The power unit has to work harder and, to counteract the thin air, we run at maximum downforce. It will provide another opportunity to evaluate our recent update package. Kimi will also be in the car for his second FP1 session and we look forward to him continuing his development on track," said the 52-year-old Austrian who will be keen for his team to improve after a disappointing weekend in the United States.
"After a difficult weekend in Austin, we have the opportunity to bounce back immediately in Mexico. Our performance in Texas showed that there is inherent performance in the car. Our challenge is extracting this consistently. That is not the result of one specific challenge, but the interaction of the car across both aero and mechanical factors. We have five more races to work on this before the end of the season. It is important that we do so, not only for our immediate performance but to also set ourselves up well for 2025," he added.
Antonelli also made an appearance at Monza during the first free practice session. However, that was short-lived: the young Italian started the session strongly, but crashed George Russell's car after only a few minutes. In Mexico City, he will get another chance in the W15. Hamilton will return to the Mercedes cockpit for the rest of the weekend.
This article has been created in collaboration with Matt Gretton
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