Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has revealed Andrea Kimi Antonelli has covered “almost 9000 kilometres” in Formula 1 cars prior to his debut in the series in the 2025 season.
Antonelli is building towards his maiden campaign in the sport having been chosen to replace seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, who has now departed to Ferrari.
The Italian was being readied to make the step up the moment Hamilton’s exit was announced 12 months ago, dovetailing his Formula 2 season with extensive F1 testing.
Antonelli has sampled several previous Mercedes cars at various circuits, including the 2020 W11 this week amid a clampdown on the Testing Previous Cars (TPC) scheme.
Wolff has opened up on the amount of time Antonelli has spent behind the wheel of Mercedes cars as he prepares to partner three-time F1 race winner George Russell.
“He has completed around 9,000 kilometres in Formula 1 cars,” Wolff told AMuS.
But despite the rigorous testing programme that Antonelli has conducted, Wolff said that Mercedes is adopting a cautious stance when it comes to his rookie season.
“If you expect him to be on pole position in Melbourne, win the race and immediately compete for the championship, then the risk is high because that won’t happen,” he said.
Mercedes preparing Antonelli for 2026
With Mercedes hoping to be more competitive when the rules reset next term, Wolff reiterated that Antonelli’s promotion in 2025 revolves around a longer-term plan.
“If we take the approach that the boy is 18 years old, very talented, but of course has to grow into it first and will make mistakes, then the risk is limited,” he added.
“That’s why we’re doing it. We see 2025 as a transition year and want to prepare him for 2026.”
When asked how Mercedes is tempering the expectation surrounding the marque’s latest prospect, Wolff responded: “By simply warning our stakeholders not to believe that the good test results will simply translate into performance on the track.”
Meanwhile, Wolff has expressed that the “child prodigy” tag which has been associated with Antonelli will be merited once he “actually performs in Formula 1”.
“We hope it will happen sooner rather than later, but certainly not right at the beginning,” the Austrian, 53, continued.
Wolff details F1 generation shift
Mercedes will be among five teams that field rookies in 2025 as sides have become more inclined to give newcomers a chance over more experienced counterparts.
Wolff has pinpointed Oliver Bearman, who will race with Haas, scoring points with limited practice on debut with Ferrari in Saudi Arabia last season as a turning point.
“There will be new regulations in 2026,” he highlighted. “The teams want to prepare for this. That’s why they prefer to train the rookies next year.
“I think one of the triggers was Oliver Bearman’s debut at Ferrari. He gets into the car unprepared, has a free practice session and drives up front.
“Then [Franco] Colapinto [at Williams] also hit the ground running. Suddenly everyone realised that the youngsters were starting at a high level.”
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