India, April 18 -- Kimi Antonelli has embarked on his Formula 1 testing journey, clocking laps in the Mercedes W12. Mercedes is closely watching Antonelli as a potential replacement for Lewis Hamilton, who will be joining Ferrari in 2025. Mercedes is using 2021 machinery to get a full picture of Antonelli's skills before making a choice. Antonelli drove the W12 for two days at the Red Bull Ring, where the first round of testing took place. Before ground effect rules came into effect in 2022, Mercedes' car designs reached their pinnacle with the W12. It's also the last car that Mercedes used to win a championship. Hamilton worked hard, but in a nail-biting finish in Abu Dhabi, he couldn't get the title.

Kimi Antonelli said, "It's been an ...