Kimi Antonelli set to succeed Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025 after unanimous board approval: Reports

Amid the ongoing discussions around Lewis Hamilton’s replacement at Mercedes, the team's board has finally made a decision. Starting next year, 17-year-old Kimi Antonelli will officially step into Lewis Hamilton's shoes at Mercedes, as reported by Italy's Il Corriere dello Sport. 

This announcement follows intense speculation during the recent Monaco Grand Prix about potential replacements, with Carlos Sainz, rumoured to have been informed that he would not be joining Mercedes alongside George Russell in 2025.

It came after the early May test conducted by the team in Silverstone. Mercedes conducted a private test at Silverstone featuring Antonelli, along with Mick Schumacher and current Mercedes driver George Russell. 

According to Il Corriere dello Sport, "The three drivers drove a 2022 Mercedes and took turns following an identical program. Antonelli was as fast as Russell with a qualifying setup and slightly better than him on race pace."

Antonelli's impressive performance swayed the Mercedes board

The results from this test proved decisive. Antonelli's impressive performance swayed the Mercedes board, leading to a unanimous vote in favour of his debut in Formula 1 with the team. Initially, only three out of the 15 board members supported Antonelli's candidacy. However, his ability to match and even surpass Russell's pace convinced the entire board of his potential.

Earlier, George Russell had expressed his enthusiasm about the prospect of partnering with Antonelli. "I think Kimi is a fantastic driver," Russell had said. "He's no doubt going to be a Formula 1 driver in the future and he's a fellow (Mercedes) junior driver as well, coming through the ranks, as I did. So I think it makes for a great opportunity for Mercedes to build into the future. But I'd welcome anybody as my teammate. I feel like I've got a pretty good teammate right now as it is," he added with a smile, acknowledging his current teammate, Hamilton.

Antonelli's promotion marks a significant shift for Mercedes, ushering in a new era for the team as they prepare for life after Hamilton. The decision to bring in such a young talent underscores Mercedes' commitment to nurturing young drivers and building a team for the future.