Written by Jasmin Low
For the past decade, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has marked the bittersweet end to the Formula 1 season. Up and down the paddock, helmets are swapped and fond memories recounted, as the sun sets on yet another jam-packed year of rivalries and race weekends.
Something seems to ignite within F1 enthusiasts as the end draws near; passion, nostalgia, or even uncertainty, hangs in the air as a new dawn awaits.
2024 marked a historic year for F1, both on and off the track. From meteoric rises to devastating falls from grace, the season has been a rollercoaster which I’m not sure fans were ready for when they strapped in for the ride.
Alongside F1, the premier feeder series category, Formula 2, also reached its end, as a new era of talent prepares to step up and take on the pinnacle of motorsports. Three drivers are set to tackle the challenge in 2025, in what is expected to be a season for the ages.
Amongst the new generation of drivers making their full-time debut in 2025 is Andrea Kimi Antonelli. When the lights go out for the first time in 2025, Antonelli will be just 18 years old, piloting a Mercedes alongside George Russell.
To be inducted into such a prestigious team is no mean feat, especially as Formula 1 prepares to enter a new chapter. So, what came beforehand?
At the beginning of 2024, Lewis Hamilton announced his departure from Mercedes after twelve years with the team, being the first domino to topple in a chain of driver transfers, rookie announcements, and contract terminations.
Antonelli immediately entered the conversation, his contract being announced on the eve of the Italian Grand Prix some months later. With big shoes to fill, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff remains confident in his young protege.
But alas, as one door opens, another one closes. As Antonelli steps up, he departs the team that allowed him to hone his craft and masterminded him to his single-seater successes: Prema Racing.
Antonelli experienced a multifaceted season after being catapulted up to Formula 2, skipping Formula 3 entirely. The young Italian took to the top step on two occasions, rounding out the drivers’ championship in sixth place.
With Prema, Antonelli stormed his way through to the title in the Italian and German Formula 4 championships, as well as both the European and Middle Eastern Formula Regional championships.
As Antonelli reflected on his journey with Prema, he described the closeness he feels to the team:
‘Prema became a second family to me honestly, I started in single seaters with them and have been with them for three years now. They’re like a family, we have a really good relationship.’
Fostering a healthy relationship between driver and team is imperative to success, and although Prema struggled to adapt to the new-spec F2 car which debuted in 2024, their pursuit of greatness never ceased:
‘Even though this season hasn’t been the best, of course, we’ve been really pushing each other to the limit and we’re working really hard. So obviously, knowing that next year I’m going to be leaving them, I want to finish in the best way possible and leave with a good memory.’
Antonelli and teammate Oliver Bearman will both make their full-time Formula 1 debuts in 2025 | Image Credit: Formula 2
Fellow rising star Oliver Bearman will join Antonelli on the F1 grid as a full-time driver, both graduating from one of the Feeder Series’ most successful teams. The duo follow in the footsteps of the likes of Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc, who also made their way to Formula 1 via Prema’s F2 program.
And so, when the sun rises on the 2025 season, a multitude of challenges awaits the young Italian. With inevitable battles and successes to come, the world waits to see what Antonelli will achieve as he makes his mark in the history books.
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