Intense Hamilton REPLACEMENT preparation revealed as Mercedes unleash championship-winning car

Intense preparations to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes have been revealed after the seven-time Formula 1 champion's exit from the Silver Arrows last month.

Hamilton shocked the world of F1 in February 2024 by announcing his move to Ferrari for the 2025 season and beyond after 12 seasons with Mercedes.

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Hamilton's time with Toto Wolff's outfit saw the sporting legend secure six of his seven drivers' titles and eight constructors' victories, making his partnership with Mercedes the most successful of its kind in the sport's history.

Following the shock announcement that Hamilton had decided to put and end to this partnership, Wolff's attention shifted to finding the best replacement, deciding to sign F2 star Kimi Antonelli to race alongside George Russell.

The former Mercedes junior driver is currently contracted with the team until the end of the 2025 season, where Wolff will seemingly evaluate his lineup for 2026.

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Antonelli preparing for huge 2025 F1 challenge

With the huge challenge of fulfilling Wolff's expectations and the shoes of an F1 legend, it seems Mercedes have been thorough with Antontelli's preparations ahead of the new season, with an intense testing programme having been undertaken ahead of his race debut.

The rookie racer has reportedly already completed over 9,000 kilometres of testing with Mercedes ahead of the new season as per Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport.

According to the report, the most recent of those tests came when Mercedes wheeled out a piece of the team's iconic F1 history to aid the young Italian's learning, using their 2020 car — the W11.

Mercedes' last drivers' championship came in that car, with Hamilton having won 11 out of 17 grands prix that season.

As well as adjusting to the demands of the Mercedes F1 car which Antonelli previously struggled with, he will also have to adapt to working with Hamilton's trusted former race engineer.

Peter 'Bono' Bonnington is set to stay in his current role and assist Antonelli upon his entry into the team.

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