Rain, Spins & P5: Antonelli’s Rollercoaster F1 Debut

Antonelli Shines in F1 Debut with Stunning P5 Comeback

16/03/2025

In a dramatic Australian GP, Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli delivered a masterful drive from P16 to P5 despite tricky conditions.

Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli made an impressive debut in Formula 1, securing a strong fifth-place finish in a rain-affected Australian Grand Prix. Starting from 16th on the grid, the young Italian navigated the tricky conditions with composure, avoiding major incidents to claim a solid result.

“It was a really intense race. We had every possible weather condition on track, which made my debut quite challenging, but I’m really happy with the outcome,” Antonelli shared after the race. The Mercedes rookie had a close call with an off-track excursion, but he managed to recover without any major consequences.

“The team did an amazing job. I made a few mistakes that cost me time, especially the spin, but overall, I’m really happy. The team guided me well throughout the race, and I can’t wait for the next one in China.”

At just 17, Antonelli is already the third-youngest driver in F1 history. Reflecting on his first weekend, he remained positive:

“I was really pleased with my progress in free practice. Qualifying was a bit disappointing because I know I could have done better, but it was still a valuable experience.”

Racing from the back of the field gave him a new perspective: “It was interesting to see how things unfold at the rear of the grid and learn how to fight my way up. I took a lot from this race, and honestly, I can’t complain about the result.”

With a strong debut under his belt, Antonelli now turns his focus to the next challenge: the Chinese Grand Prix.

Rain – Spins & P5: Antonelli’s Rollercoaster F1 Debut Rain – Spins & P5: Antonelli’s Rollercoaster F1 Debut

Race Center
China Flag
Chinese GP
21 Mar 2025 - 23 Mar 2025
Free Practice 1
21 MAR 03:30 - 04:30
Sprint Qual
21 MAR 07:30 - 08:14
Sprint Race
22 MAR 03:00 - 04:00
Qualifying
22 MAR 07:00 - 08:00
Race
23 MAR 07:00 - 09:00

2025 F1 Australian Grand Prix - Race Results

Lando Norris
1
LANDO
NORRIS
57
Max Verstappen
2
MAX
VERSTAPPEN
+0.895s
George Russell
3
GEORGE
RUSSELL
+8.481s
Alex Albon
4
ALEX
ALBON
+12.773s
Kimi Antonelli
5
KIMI
ANTONELLI
+15.135s
Lance Stroll
6
LANCE
STROLL
+17.413s
Nico Hulkenberg
7
NICO
HULKENBERG
+18.423s
Charles Leclerc
8
CHARLES
LECLERC
+19.826s
Oscar Piastri
9
OSCAR
PIASTRI
+20.448s
Lewis Hamilton
10
LEWIS
HAMILTON
+22.473s
Pierre Gasly
11
PIERRE
GASLY
+26.502s
Yuki Tsunoda
12
YUKI
TSUNODA
+29.884s
Esteban Ocon
13
ESTEBAN
OCON
+33.161s
Oliver Bearman
14
OLIVER
BEARMAN
+40.351s
Liam Lawson
15
LIAM
LAWSON
47 DNF
Gabriel Bortoleto
16
GABRIEL
BORTOLETO
47 DNF
Fernando Alonso
17
FERNANDO
ALONSO
34 DNF
Carlos Sainz
18
CARLOS
SAINZ
0 DNF
Jack Doohan
19
JACK
DOOHAN
0 DNF
Isack Hadjar
20
ISACK
HADJAR
0 DNF
F1 CALENDAR 2025
Race
Date
Chinese Flag
Chinese
Shanghai International
23 Mar
Japanese Flag
Japanese
Suzuka Circuit
6 Apr
Bahrain Flag
Bahrain
Sakhir desert
13 Apr
Saudi Arabia Flag
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street
20 Apr
United States Flag
United States
Miami
04 May

2025 FORMULA 1 DRIVERS' WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Lando Norris
1
LANDO
NORRIS
25 Points
Max Verstappen
2
MAX
VERSTAPPEN
18
George Russell
3
GEORGE
RUSSELL
15
Alex Albon
4
ALEX
ALBON
12
Kimi Antonelli
5
KIMI
ANTONELLI
10
Lance Stroll
6
LANCE
STROLL
8
Nico Hulkenberg
7
NICO
HULKENBERG
6
Charles Leclerc
8
CHARLES
LECLERC
4
Oscar Piastri
9
OSCAR
PIASTRI
2
Lewis Hamilton
10
LEWIS
HAMILTON
1

2025 FORMULA 1 CONSTRUCTORS' WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

1
McLaren
27
2
Mercedes
25
3
Red Bull
18
4
Williams
12
5
Aston Martin
8
6
Sauber
6
7
Ferrari
5
8
Alpine F1
0
9
Haas F1
0
10
Racing Bulls
0
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