Kimi Antonelli knew early on about Lewis Hamilton’s historic Ferrari transfer. The seven-time world champion announced in 2024 that he would swap his Mercedes after twelve years for the Scuderia. Toto Wolff approached Antonelli even before the official announcement; the young Italian was preparing for his first season in Formula 2 at that time. He is now a six-time race winner and leads the World Championship, but Antonelli still remembers that first conversation well.
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On the YouTube channel of SAP, he looked back on the moment Wolff approached him for promotion to Formula 1. “It was 2024, the year I would turn eighteen,” he said. “I was at Silverstone for a Formula 3 test. I needed to get to know the circuit better, as I would move up to Formula 2 that year. At the end of that day, Toto (Wolff, ed.) called me to his office. I already got a bit suspicious because that never happened otherwise.”
“I walked into his office and Toto got straight to the point,” Antonelli grinned. “This all happened before Lewis (Hamilton, ed.) had officially announced his move to Ferrari. He said: ‘Look, Lewis is going to Ferrari. We are considering putting you behind the wheel next year.’ I just thought: ‘Wow.’ My eyes went wide open. ‘Are you joking?’ I hadn’t even started in Formula 2 yet and still had so much to prove. ‘Okay,’ I said, but in my head I knew I still had a lot to do to earn that seat.”
‘Dreams came true’
“‘If the opportunity arises, will you be ready?’ Toto asked, and I said: ‘Yes, I have to be ready.’ From that moment on, the team supported me and I did a lot of testing in Formula 1.” An extensive test program followed, alongside the Formula 2 championship. Six months later came the official announcement, ahead of the Italian GP. “I was at home with my family,” Antonelli recalled. “Toto organized a video call with all the big names from Mercedes. James Allison was there, Gwen Lagrue, Bradley Lord – all the big names.”
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“‘You are our driver next year,’ they said. I was incredibly happy, but at the same time it was such a big step that it took a while to realize it. I remember lying on a deck chair on the terrace, staring at the sky and trying to comprehend what had just happened. My dreams had come true,” Antonelli concluded.
Stormy debut at Monza
At Monza, he then immediately took action in front of his home crowd; even before the collaboration was made public, the then 18-year-old Antonelli took part in a free practice session. However, his debut was anything but smooth: he crashed in the Parabolica. In 2025, his official debut as a full-time F1 driver followed. He had a mixed season, but in 2026 Toto Wolff’s gamble seems to be paying off handsomely.
Antonelli has emerged as a reliable and lightning-fast driver. With six Grand Prix wins, he convincingly leads the championship. Ahead of the summer break, his lead over his main rival – none other than Lewis Hamilton – is fifty World Championship points.
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