Kimi Antonelli

Andrea Kimi Antonelli is the teenager Mercedes fast-tracked straight from the junior ranks into one of the sport's biggest seats, backing him as a long-term investment in the mould of a young Lewis Hamilton. The Italian's raw speed drew comparisons well before his F1 debut.

2026 is his chance to convert promise into podiums with a full season of experience behind him. Learning alongside George Russell in a works Mercedes, Antonelli is one of the drivers most likely to define the next decade of the sport.