Kimi Antonelli is eager for his second Formula 1 practice session in Mexico City. The 18-year-old Italian will once again pilot the W15 during FP1, having previously driven at Monza in September.
Kimi expressed, “I’m excited to drive in FP1 and contribute to the team’s strong start this weekend. It’s a new track for me, and I’ve been preparing hard.
The altitude presents a unique challenge that I’m looking forward to.”
He thanked the team for the opportunity to take part. Kimi will drive Lewis Hamilton’s car for the hour-long session, having previously driven George Russell’s W15 at Monza.
This will be Kimi’s first F1 session since being announced as part of the team’s 2025 driver lineup alongside George Russell during the Italian Grand Prix.
According to FIA regulations, each F1 driver must miss one FP1 session each season to allow a rookie with fewer than two Grand Prix starts to participate.
The FIA recently stated this requirement will increase to two sessions per season starting in 2025.
Toto Wolff remarked, “We look forward to seeing Kimi continue his development on track in Mexico.”
In Formula 2, Kimi has had a strong season with PREMA, securing two wins, including his first at Silverstone and a feature race victory in Hungary.
He is the youngest driver in the series’ history to achieve multiple wins and currently sits sixth in the standings with two races remaining.
Kimi moved up from the Formula Regional European Championship after winning it last season, and he claimed titles in both the Italian and German F4 series in 2022.
He has been part of the Mercedes junior program since 2019 and has spent time shadowing the team at Grand Prix weekends since his announcement as a Mercedes driver for 2025.
