Rising star Andrea Kimi Antonelli has passed his driving test just six weeks before he makes his Formula One debut for Mercedes at the Australian Grand Prix.

Italian Kimi Antonelli, the 18-year-old rookie replacing seven times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes this season, has passed his driving test.

New Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli has announced that he has passed his driving test ahead of his debut season in F1 2025. Antonelli is gearing up for his first season in F1, having been signed as Lewis Hamilton’s successor following the seven-time World Champion’s shock switch to Ferrari.

Already qualified to race at 200mph, only now is the F1 rookie also deemed skilled enough for the public highway

Andrea Kimi Antonelli has already completed thousands of miles of testing in an F1 car, but couldn't legally drive on the roads until now. | ITV National News

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli passes his driving test six weeks before he makes his Formula 1 debut at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Mercedes' new Formula One driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli has passed his driving test in Italy, just weeks before he is set to replace Lewis Hamilton at the team. The 18-year-old Italian successfully completed the rite of passage to become road-ready ahead of his much-anticipated F1 debut in March.