Andrea Kimi Antonelli Passes Driving Test Weeks Before F1 Debut with Mercedes
Mercedes' newest Formula 1 driver, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, has officially passed his driving test—just weeks before making his F1 debut at the Australian Grand Prix. The 18-year-old Italian, who replaces seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, shared the milestone on social media, posting a photo of himself giving a thumbs-up in a driving school car. "Mission completed," he wrote, alongside two laughing emojis.
Antonelli, who turned 18 last August, had to wait until he was legally allowed to drive on Italian roads before taking the test. Reports suggest he completed it in San Marino, near his home in Imola, using a Volkswagen Golf for the practical exam. He reportedly only made one mistake in his theory test. To prepare, his father, Marco Antonelli—who runs a GT racing team—had him practice driving a manual Fiat Scudo van around Bologna.
Despite now being road-legal, Antonelli is no stranger to high-speed driving. He has already completed thousands of miles in F1 machinery, including extensive testing ahead of his debut season. He will split pre-season testing duties in Bahrain with his new teammate, George Russell, from February 26th-28th.
The young driver is stepping into a high-pressure role, replacing one of the greatest drivers in F1 history. Should Antonelli win any of his first three races in Australia, China, or Japan, he would surpass Max Verstappen as the youngest F1 Grand Prix winner in history.
Interestingly, Antonelli has achieved something Verstappen did not—getting a regular driver’s license before his F1 debut. When Verstappen entered the sport in 2015 at 17 years old, he had to wait until later that year to pass his driving test. The Dutchman even recalled nearly failing after an argument with his examiner about yielding to pedestrians.
Antonelli’s rise through the junior ranks has drawn many comparisons to Verstappen. Many in the paddock see him as the most exciting young talent to enter F1 since the now four-time world champion. He even got his first taste of F1 action last August at the Italian Grand Prix, though his session ended dramatically with a high-speed crash at Parabolica. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, despite wincing at the crash, has remained confident in Antonelli’s potential.
Wolff has backed Antonelli throughout his career, bringing him through the Mercedes junior program and now giving him the opportunity to prove himself at the highest level. "He’s a rookie, he’s very young, and we are prepared to invest in his future," Wolff said after the crash. "These moments will happen. They will continue to happen next year. But there will also be a lot of highlights. What we saw today is we have a problem slowing him down rather than making him faster, because what we’ve seen from one-and-a-half laps is just astonishing."
After a difficult 2024 season that saw Mercedes finish fourth in the Constructors' Championship—their worst result since 2012—the team is hoping Antonelli can help them return to the front of the grid. His journey starts in Melbourne on March 16th, and now, at least, he can legally drive himself to the track.
