by SIMONE PELUSO
It had been in the air for several days, but now there is confirmation: Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be behind the wheel of the Mercedes in the first free practice sessions of the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. The official announcement comes directly from Toto Wolff who, at the end of the Dutch Grand Prix, gave this gift to the Italian public.
“In the first free practice sessions in Monza we will put Kimi in the car, it will be his first time in an official weekend and I really like that. – declared the Mercedes team principal – It’s a very emotional thing for me and for the team, just today that he turns 18.”
“We started working with Kimi when he was 11 years old, he was really a child, and next week in Monza he will come out of the pit lane with a Mercedes. I hope that all the Italian fans make a great big roar when he enters the track for the first time. It will be a bit of a strange sight to see Kimi and Max (yes, it’s not a mistake: a small slip accidentally swapping Hamilton with Verstappen?) in the same garage, the strongest and greatest driver in the world and the youngest to start his Formula 1 career in FP1″.
After another slip on Friday that anticipated Antonelli’s announcement Wolff, owner next season he pulled the brake a bit looking ahead to 2025: “We haven’t yet made Kimi official for next year and Max in 2026. Let’s wait a little longer. Although I have to say that I like these rumors.”
#Monza #Antonellis #debut #Mercedes #FP1 #official
