Mercedes pick teenage rookie Antonelli to replace Lewis Hamilton / Photo: © AFP
-
Eel-powered Japan whizz-kid, 11, dominates in historic Games debut
-
Sao Tome voters want to stop exodus of 'neglected' youth
-
Madagascar's Gen Z 'betrayed' after ushering in new rule
-
Bulgaria's battery boom pays off as drought hits power plants
-
As Moscow steps up attacks, Kyiv residents brace for harsh winter
-
Mexican cartels target Australia with their African meth
-
Comic inspires unlikely kabaddi dreams for Japan's Asian Games amateurs
-
Swim sensation Yu, 13, set for Olympic take-off after golden Asian Games
-
Thailand slams chaotic Asian Games organisation as 'musical chairs'
-
Ex-NFL star Brown to take plea deal in shooting case: lawyer
-
North Korea to keep nuclear weapons 'forever': foreign minister
-
Malaysia's migrant return plan chills Myanmar Rohingya
-
Markets mixed as China's Xi arrives for US talks
-
Pakistan confirms Afghan strikes after resident says Kandahar hit
-
Swiss voters expected to shun stricter neutrality
-
Thousands missing, aid needs mount one month after Nepal's deadly floods
-
Rapper-turned-PM faces first big test after Nepal disaster
-
Nepal flood victims look to PM Shah to press climate case at UN
-
Tuchel seeks tonic to England World Cup 'scar' in Spain showdown
-
Trump admin says there were 8 suicide attempts on US aircraft carrier
-
'Helps me cope': Catholic baptisms rise among French youth
-
Iranian satire 'Head to Head' draws a veil over the men
-
Colombians in Santa Marta stay inside after violence wracks the city
-
Archaeological 'breakthrough' could confirm origins of Paris
-
Iran airlines cancel flights as US sanctions hit
-
Morocco elects new parliament with lowest turnout in nearly two decades
-
Meta launches camera-free AI glasses amid privacy pushback
-
North Korean IT contractor found remote work in New Zealand: agency
-
Australian PM says OpenAI hacked government health website
-
Anthropic touts AI-led biology discovery
-
Xi arrives in US to personal Trump welcome
-
Giants QB Dart to have season-ending surgery
-
Morocco elects new parliament amid social frustration, youth discontent
-
Venezuelan shot by ICE needs urgent surgery, mother tells AFP
-
Scheffler and Burns to face Im and Lee in Presidents Cup opener
-
Giants QB Dart to have season-ending surgery: reports
-
Crushing wins for Lyon and Barca in women's Champions League
-
Judge urged to lift Trump's White House ban on media outlets
-
Rio breaks record for rainiest September amid powerful El Nino
-
Stocks fall on soaring bond yields, higher oil prices
-
At UN, tech chiefs urge caution in AI development
-
US judge weighing Trump's White House ban on media outlets
-
Russian strikes kill seven in Ukraine, Zelensky vows winter campaign
-
At UN, OpenAI's Altman calls 'for extreme care' in AI
-
Venezuelan shot by ICE needs urgent medical care, mother tells AFP
-
Hamilton gives thumbs up to Gulf GPs despite Iran conflict
-
Zelensky says Putin using fighters from 47 countries in Ukraine war
-
Leclerc admits going 'too far' in Hamilton shunt in Italy
-
Klopp calls on Germany to 'rise above ourselves' as new era begins
-
Row engulfs Dolly Parton's estate as manager accuses nephew of making threats
Mercedes pick teenage rookie Antonelli to replace Lewis Hamilton
Italian teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli will replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes once the seven-time world champion jumps ship for Ferrari at the end of the season, the Formula One team announced on Saturday.
Rookie Antonelli, who celebrated his 18th birthday last weekend, will partner George Russell, another product of the team's junior programme.
"Reaching F1 is a dream I've had since I was a small boy; I want to thank the team for the support they've given me in my career so far and the faith they've shown in me," said Antonelli in a statement.
"I am still learning a lot, but I feel ready for the opportunity. I will be focused on getting better and delivering the best possible results for the team."
Antonelli was picked by Mercedes even though his first ever F1 drive ended quickly and in spectacular fashion at Friday's first practice session for the Italian Grand Prix, smashing Russell's car into the trackside barriers at Monza with just four completed laps under his belt.
Given a chance by Mercedes to drive an F1 car, he lost control at the Parabolica turn 10 minutes into the session and seriously damaged the front end after ploughing through the gravel.
Mercedes called the incident "unfortunate but all part of the learning curve".
"He apologised first of all, and that is what you need to do when you bring a car back that looks a little bit like a Lego box falling on the floor," said team chief Toto Wolff on Friday.
Wolff was unperturbed by the crash, saying that "no one's interested in FP1 anyway" and adding that Antonelli would get probably another chance in a Mercedes F1 car at the Mexican GP at the end of October.
Antonelli has had a stellar youth career until a brief lull at the start of this season.
He won the 2022, Italian and German Formula 4 championships, the 2023 Middle East and European regional Formula championships.
This season, he skipped Formula 3 and went straight into the Formula 2 championship. After a slow start he scored his first victory in the sprint race at Silverstone at the beginning of July, before winning the main race in Budapest two weeks later.
He is seventh in the championship with four rounds to go.
M.Schneider--VB