Confirmed
Kimi Antonelli secures multi-year Mercedes F1 contract
Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team confirms Andrea Kimi Antonelli has signed a multi-year deal, joining George Russell for 2027.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli will join Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team on a multi-year contract starting in 2027, the team confirmed today. This agreement places Antonelli alongside George Russell, creating a new driver lineup for the German outfit. The 17-year-old Italian driver, currently leading the F1 Drivers' Championship with 219 points, replaces Lewis Hamilton, who departs at the end of the 2026 season for Scuderia Ferrari.
Antonelli's Rapid Ascent
Antonelli’s career has seen a rapid progression through the junior formulae. He secured six victories in the current 2026 Formula 1 season, demonstrating his pace and racecraft. His most recent race, the Dutch Grand Prix, saw him finish second, 11.536 seconds behind race winner Lando Norris. This consistency has propelled him to a significant lead in the championship standings over second-placed Hamilton, who holds 169 points.
Future Implications for Mercedes
Mercedes’ decision to sign Antonelli for a multi-year term signals a clear commitment to nurturing young talent and building for the future. The team will aim to leverage Antonelli's existing momentum and integrate him seamlessly into their F1 operations. The Italian Grand Prix, the next round on the F1 calendar, begins with its first session on Friday, September 4th at 13:30 Finnish time.
Status And Sources
This story is labelled Confirmed, which means the people involved have said this on the record. The rules behind those labels are in the editorial policy, and the desk that published it is Miika Rantanen.
Written from the following reporting. Each link goes to the newsroom's own page, not to an aggregator:
- Crash.netcrash.net
