Antonelli's 'Great' F1 Test Completed: Eyes on Melbourne Debut

Kimi Antonelli is one of the most exciting rookies ahead of the 2025 F1 season. Replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, there was always going to be lots of attention on the Italian, and he seems content after his first preseason test.

Antonelli quickly hit the track when testing began on Wednesday, looking to get used to the Mercedes W16. Throughout the three-day test, the young driver accumulated a valuable day and a half of running.

Reflecting on his time in Bahrain, Antonelli described his experience.

“It was great,” he said according to Formula1.com. “It was nice to be back for official testing, and it felt pretty good with the car. Obviously, there’s still some work to do, [with] understanding the car and the tyres, but overall, I think we did a good job.”

The Italian also highlighted the completion of a full-race simulation and described the test as 'positive.' “Last night I did a full race distance all in one go, and it was pretty nice, also to do all the pit stops and so on,” he shared.

“I think it was a positive test. As I said before, still some work to do, but it was a decent start,” he admitted.

The rookie also highlighted his feelings ahead of a 'surreal' debut with Mercedes in Melbourne, where the first race will be held on March 16. “It’s a really special moment – it still feels surreal that next time we’re on track, it’s going to be in Melbourne,” he said.

“I really cannot wait for Melbourne.”

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