Mercedes F1 star Kimi Antonelli issues EXIT statement following team switch

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Mercedes star Antonelli issues EXIT statement following team switch

Kimi Antonelli is set to replace Lewis Hamilton in F1 at Mercedes in 2025

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Monday 16 December 2024 11:57 Updated: 18:05

Up-and-coming Formula 1 star Kimi Antonelli has released a team exit statement ahead of a contract switch for 2025.

The 18-year-old is set to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next season following the announcement that the seven-time champion would be moving to Ferrari after 12 years with the Silver Arrows.

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Antonelli had been tipped as the next rising star of the pinnacle of motorsport and despite only finishing sixth in the 2024 Formula 2 season, there are still high expectations awaiting him as he heads straight to the top with Mercedes.

Toto Wolff's outfit will be left to deal with a huge change next year with the absence of Hamilton, who achieved six of his seven world championships with the team.

With Antonelli destined for greatness, Wolff will be eager to nurture his talent over time with George Russell now acting as the number one driver, the young Italian teenager instead perhaps Wolff's vision for the future.

Lewis Hamilton's exit has made way for Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes next season

Lewis Hamilton will instead race for Ferrari from 2025

Mercedes star bids farewell to F2

As both F1 and F2 now head into a well-deserved winter break, many stars of the track are saying their goodbyes and preparing for a huge career change come next season.

Both Antonelli and his Prema F2 team-mate Ollie Bearman have a tough challenge ahead, with Antonelli confirmed at Mercedes and Bearman securing a full-time F1 drive with Haas following frequent appearances on track in 2024 for both the American outfit and Ferrari in his reserve driver role.

Bearman exceeded expectations, most notably by scoring points on debut when standing in for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari, even beating fellow Brit Hamilton in the process at the Saudi Arabian GP.

Ahead of the pair's departure from F2, Antonelli posted to his Instagram page to bid a fond farewell.

The 18-year-old wrote: "End of an incredible journey with @prema_team ! I want to thank each one of them for all the great moments we had together. Grazie di tutto❤️ "Now eyes on the future for the new journey ?"

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A post shared by Andrea Kimi Antonelli (@kimi.antonelli)

Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

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Red Bull Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Mercedes Toto Wolff Kimi Antonelli