Kimi Antonelli joined Formula 1 as a full-time race driver with Mercedes for the 2025 season, making his debut at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

He had already appeared in F1 earlier in a limited role, taking part in a free practice session (FP1) at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix with Mercedes before stepping up to a full race seat the following year.

Quick Scoop: When Did Kimi Antonelli Join F1?

Short Answer

  • Andrea Kimi Antonelli joined F1 as a race driver in 2025 , debuting at the Australian Grand Prix for Mercedes.
  • He first appeared on an F1 weekend in FP1 at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix before getting a full-time seat.

Mini Timeline: From Junior to F1

  1. 2019 – Mercedes Junior Programme
    • Kimi entered the Mercedes young driver system, beginning his path toward F1.
  1. 2021–2023 – Junior Formulas
    • Stepped into single-seaters like Italian F4 and then climbed rapidly through the ranks, collecting titles and wins.
  1. 2024 – Formula 2 and First F1 Weekend
    • Raced in Formula 2 with PREMA and impressed with victories.
    • Made his grand prix weekend debut in FP1 at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix (Monza) for Mercedes, though that session ended with a crash.
  1. 2025 – Full F1 Debut with Mercedes
    • Promoted to a full-time Mercedes F1 seat , replacing Lewis Hamilton.
 * First race: **Australian Grand Prix 2025 (Albert Park, Melbourne)** , where he finished a remarkable fourth and scored points on debut.

Key Facts at a Glance

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Item Detail
Full name Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Team Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team
First F1 weekend appearance FP1, 2024 Italian Grand Prix (Monza), for Mercedes
F1 race debut 2025 Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne
Joined F1 as full-time driver 2025 season
Age at debut 18 years old, among the youngest in F1 history

Why This Is a Trending Topic

Kimi Antonelli’s arrival in F1 has been one of the most talked-about storylines in recent seasons, especially because:

  • He replaced a seven-time world champion at Mercedes, which created huge expectations and intense scrutiny.
  • His junior record and early results (like a fourth place in his first race and early poles/fastest laps) marked him as one of the standout young talents on the grid.
  • Fans and forums often debate whether he’s the “next big thing” for Mercedes after Hamilton and whether he joined F1 “too early” or at the perfect time.

A typical forum take would look like:

“He didn’t just join F1 in 2025, he got thrown straight into a top team. Either future champion or massive pressure story – no in-between.”

Different Ways People Phrase Your Question

When fans ask “when did Kimi Antonelli join F1” , they usually mean one of three things:

  • First ever F1 session → FP1 at the 2024 Italian GP.
  • First full F1 season / official ‘joining’ → 2025 season with Mercedes , starting at the Australian GP.
  • When he joined Mercedes as a future F1 prospect → Joined the Mercedes Junior Programme in 2019.

So the clean SEO-style answer:

  • If you mean race driver : Kimi Antonelli joined F1 in 2025 , debuting at the Australian Grand Prix for Mercedes.
  • If you mean his very first F1 track appearance : he first drove an official F1 weekend session in FP1 at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix.

TL;DR:
Kimi Antonelli joined Formula 1 as a full-time race driver with Mercedes in the 2025 season , making his race debut at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne , after first appearing in FP1 at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.