Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes F1 replacement reveals INCREDIBLE Ayrton Senna tribute

lewis hamilton, kimi antonelli, mercedes, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

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Hamilton replacement reveals INCREDIBLE tribute to F1 legend

Kimi Antonelli will line up alongside George Russell at the Silver Arrows in 2025

Kevin McKenna

Wednesday 5 February 2025 13:42

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Lewis Hamilton's replacement at Mercedes has revealed a stunning tribute to legend Ayrton Senna ahead of his maiden Formula 1 campaign.

Following the seven-time world champion's shock decision to swap the Silver Arrows for Ferrari, team boss Toto Wolff - after months of speculation - finally opted to select Kimi Antonelli as the man to join George Russell in 2025.

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The Italian is fresh from completing his one and only season in F2, securing one feature race victory on his way to achieving a sixth-place finish, but showed enough potential to convince Wolff to take a gamble.

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Lewis Hamilton has swapped Mercedes for Ferrari ahead of the new season

Kimi Antonelli will replace Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025

Antonelli draws inspiration from F1 'idol'

Antonelli will be hoping to get off to a positive start at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 16, almost seven months on from a horror debut in Monza, where he crashed out of FF1 as he filled in for Russell.

The 18-year-old - who only recently passed his driving test - has put that disappointment firmly in the rear-view mirror though, and is only looking towards the future.

And Antonelli is hoping to draw inspiration from a legend of the sport as he sets out to make history of his own, after choosing to adopt the number 12 for the upcoming campaign.

In an interview featured on Mercedes' official website, he revealed why he holds the number in such high regard.

"It is because of Ayrton," he said.

The Brazilian is widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers in the sport's history, winning three world championships, with the number 12 front and centre of the McLaren with which he earned his first.

Antonelli has ambitions to emulate his racing hero Ayrton Senna

"But it is also the number I first used in single seaters," he continued. "From F4 I started to use 12 straight away and it worked pretty well with that number. Hopefully I can carry that on in F1.

"I was also 12 years old when I joined the Mercedes junior programme, so there is that too.

"I always got really passionate when I saw videos of Senna [who tragically lost his life at the San Marino GP in 1994].

"Growing up I would watch all the DVDs of the seasons from the 1980s to the 2000s, and in one of them, I remember watching Ayrton and it really stood out.

"I know I was not lucky enough to watch him race, but when I watched all these videos I started to realise all these incredible races he has done.

"I watched the documentary and the recent series too. He is my idol because of who he was off the track as well as on it. An incredible driver, but a great person too.

"That inspired me, and to achieve even a little part of what he did in my career would be so cool."

F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Mercedes FIA Christian Horner