Mercedes pick teenage rookie Antonelli to replace Lewis Hamilton

MONZA, Italy: Italian teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli will replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes once the seven-time world champion jumps ship for Ferrari at the end of the season, the Formula One team announced on Saturday.

Rookie Antonelli, who celebrated his 18th birthday last weekend, will partner George Russell, another product of the team´s junior programme.

"Reaching F1 is a dream I´ve had since I was a small boy; I want to thank the team for the support they´ve given me in my career so far and the faith they´ve shown in me," said Antonelli in a statement.

"I am still learning a lot, but I feel ready for the opportunity. I will be focused on getting better and delivering the best possible results for the team."

Antonelli was picked by Mercedes even though his first ever F1 drive ended quickly and in spectacular fashion at Friday´s first practice session for the Italian Grand Prix, smashing Russell´s car into the trackside barriers at Monza with just four completed laps under his belt.

Given a chance by Mercedes to drive an F1 car, he lost control at the Parabolica turn 10 minutes into the session and seriously damaged the front end after ploughing through the gravel.

Mercedes called the incident "unfortunate but all part of the learning curve".