Lewis Hamilton replacement signed with Mercedes announcement imminent – report

Andrea Kimi Antonelli has signed a contract to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for the F1 2025 season, it has been claimed.

And an announcement is reportedly expected at next month’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza, with the teenager set to partner George Russell at Mercedes next year.

‘Mercedes sign Andrea Kimi Antonelli as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement’

Hamilton rocked the F1 world in February by announcing that he will join Ferrari for F1 2025, ending his long and successful association with Mercedes.

The British driver has claimed six of his seven World Championships, as well as becoming the first man in F1 history to surpass 100 grand prix victories and pole positions, with Mercedes since arriving from McLaren at the start of the 2013 season.

Hamilton’s decision to leave for Ferrari came less than six months after he had agreed a two-year extension to his Mercedes deal – announced on the eve of last year’s Italian Grand Prix – with the 39-year-old activating a break clause in his revised contract last winter.

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Mercedes has been persistently linked this year with an ambitious move for reigning three-time World Champion Max Verstappen, with team boss Toto Wolff making no secret of his desire to land the Red Bull driver.

Yet with Verstappen giving no public indication of a willingness to leave Red Bull, where he is under contract until the end of 2028 season, Mercedes seem set to promote teenage sensation Antonelli as Hamilton’s successor.

Autosprint has claimed that Antonelli has already signed a contract to race for Mercedes from next season, with the team planning to confirm the deal ahead of the Monza race on September 1.

Mercedes protege Antonelli has emerged as a potential star of the future over recent years, winning a number of junior championships before stepping up to Formula 1 feeder series F2.

After a slow start to the season with the struggling Prema team, Antonelli’s talent has come to the fore in recent weeks with the Bologna-born starlet winning in Britain and Hungary.

Those breakthrough victories came after Antonelli had commenced an extensive testing program with previous Mercedes F1 cars as the team sought to prepare him for a potential F1 debut, with the teenager testing the team’s 2021 and 2022 machines at the likes of Imola and Silverstone.

Although Mercedes had harboured hopes of securing Verstappen’s signature, Antonelli had long been regarded as the overwhelming favourite to succeed Hamilton for F1 2025.

Speaking to select media including PlanetF1.com the morning after Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was announced, Wolff teased that Mercedes had an opportunity “to do something bold” with their F1 2025 driver lineup.

The rise of Antonelli, who will turn 18 on the day of the Dutch Grand Prix on August 25, is set to mirror that of Hamilton, who also made his F1 debut with a front-running team when he started out with McLaren as a 22-year-old rookie in 2007.

Hamilton gave his blessing to the signing of Antonelli at this year’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, telling media including PlanetF1.com: “Honestly, I have no idea what Toto’s plans are but, for me, taking on a youngster would be [the right move].

“If it was my job, my role, I’d probably take on Kimi.”

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