At this year's Italian Grand Prix in Monza, young talent Andrea Kimi Antonelli made his Formula 1 debut for Mercedes during the first free practice session. During the event, the German manufacturer also announced that the 18-year-old will join their lineup for the 2025 season.

Mercedes Team Principal, Toto Wolff, previously admitted that he was determined to sign Antonelli immediately after Lewis Hamilton announced his move to Ferrari at the start of the season.

Hamilton entered F1 with McLaren in 2007 at the age of 22 and quickly became a title contender, winning his first championship in 2008. After moving to Mercedes in 2013, he won 6 more championships, bringing his total to seven and equaling Michael Schumacher’s record.

Similarly, Antonelli, who had only turned eighteen a couple of days before his home F1 debut, managed to leave a good impression, even after a high-speed crash ending his first time in the premier class early.

Wolff has now shared that he has set his sights high for Antonelli, hoping the Italian will follow in Hamilton's footsteps and mirror his successful career path in Formula 1.

“I think the project that inspired me more is the one that is more similar to Hamilton’s career,” Wolff told Italian Autosprint.

“[Hamilton’s] growth in the junior categories and his impact in Formula 1 came at a time when you could test a lot more than Kimi has been able to do now. 

“Ron [Meadows] at the time said Lewis needed to take it easy to get used to F1, also because [Fernando] Alonso was at McLaren. 

“However, that never happened, Lewis was immediately competitive and a success.”

He also emphasized the pressure Antonelli will face but remains optimistic about how he will handle it.

“With the current preparation, Kimi can jump into our car and be competitive,” said Wolff quoted by Motorsport Week.

“However, F1 now is a different animal than it was at the time of Hamilton’s debut. There are a lot more dimensions and facets compared to the past. 

“There is more pressure and social media, so I think it is important to keep everything moving in the right direction, keep the right priorities and avoid what is not essential. 

“The goal is to create a new success story as happened with Hamilton.”

When Antonelli steps into his full-time F1 seat in 2025, he will be the first Italian to compete in the series since Antonio Giovinazzi in 2021.