Mercedes confirms 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement

(CNN) —& Mercedes has announced that Italian teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli will replace the Ferrari-bound& Lewis Hamilton& next season.The 18-year-old Antonelli, a graduate of the team’s junior program, will partner with George Russell at Mercedes following the departure of seven-time& F1& champion Hamilton.“Kimi has consistently shown the talent and speed needed to compete at the very top of our sport,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff in a statement. “We know it will be another big step up, but he has impressed us in his F1 testing this year and we will be supporting him every step of the way in the learning process.“In George, he has an experienced teammate from which he can learn and hone his craft. I am confident that both will contribute greatly as we continue to build momentum and fight at the front of the field.”Antonelli joined Mercedes’ junior program in 2019 and has been competing in Formula 2 this year, becoming the youngest winner of multiple races in the series’ history after victories at Silverstone and Budapest.He made his practice debut for the Silver Arrows at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza on Friday but endured a challenging start after crashing into the wall on...