The film will explore the reasons why Mercedes chose to trust an 18-year-old to step into the seat of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton after Hamilton’s early move to Ferrari left the team needing a replacement.

The documentary offers exclusive insights into Mercedes’ decision-making process, showing how various names emerged in rumours, including Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso. It was even suggested that Mercedes briefly considered Max Verstappen from Red Bull. Despite the availability of experienced drivers, Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff decided to promote Antonelli directly from their junior programme, making it one of the most surprising moves in the sport’s recent history.

The Seat includes authentic WhatsApp messages discussing the decision, giving viewers a closer look at key moments and the timeline of events. The trailer for the documentary was released today and revealed that Antonelli’s current girlfriend, Czech karting driver Eliška Bábičková, will also appear in the film.

The documentary will not only cover the move itself but also highlight Antonelli’s unique situation as he continues to attend school while competing in Formula 1. Balancing homework with racing shows both his youth and the trust Mercedes has placed in him. So far, Antonelli has been performing well, staying competitive with George Russell and handling high-pressure situations with maturity.

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The Seat follows Netflix’s growing collection of Formula 1 content, alongside the long-running Drive to Survive series, which has helped boost the sport’s global popularity. It also joins other recent releases such as the drama series about Ayrton Senna. Later in May, Netflix will also premiere a new documentary series about the F1 Academy, focusing on the personal stories of young women drivers in motorsport.