18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli is gearing up for one more practice session before his official Formula 1 debut in 2025. Engineer Andrew Shovlin confirmed on Thursday that the young Italian will be back in action this year. After a disappointing debut in Monza, Antonelli will soon have the opportunity to redeem himself. “We’re going to take a more measured approach this time,” said Shovlin.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli was announced last weekend as the new teammate of George Russell; from 2025, the young driver will take over Lewis Hamilton’s seat. The 18-year-old Italian was given the chance to prove himself during the first free practice in Monza. However, after just ten minutes, Antonelli made a costly mistake and crashed at Parabolica.
Trackside Engineer Andrew Shovlin Reveals Antonelli’s Future Opportunities
Trackside engineer Andrew Shovlin revealed on Mercedes’ YouTube channel that Antonelli will soon get the chance to redeem himself. “The rules require that both drivers give up their seat once for a free practice,” Shovlin explained. “Kimi (Antonelli) is our driver for next year, so of course we’re going to use him again for that.”
Will it be Mexico or Abu Dhabi?
With only eight Grand Prix left on the calendar, there are few free training sessions left for the 18-year-old talent. During the sprint weekends in Austin, Brazil, and Qatar, Mercedes probably can’t give up any training sessions, and it’s also unlikely that Antonelli will step into the car on street circuits like Singapore and Las Vegas. This leaves only the weekends in Mexico and Abu Dhabi.
“The choice is limited,” Shovlin responded. “But he will return anyway, and we look forward to seeing him back in the car. He clearly hasn’t made enough miles yet. The speed was fortunately very good, we just need to talk to him about how to build up a race weekend a little more calmly.”
