Kimi Antonelli will make his first-ever appearance in an F1 session on Friday, replacing George Russell in the W15 for FP1 at the Italian Grand Prix.

The 18-year-old is expected to be announced as Lewis Hamilton’s successor from 2025 onwards at some point this weekend, and will now get his first race weekend action.

Speaking about the teenager’s opportunity, Hamilton said: “For Kimi tomorrow it’s about enjoying yourself and having fun. This is going to be an amazing experience for him.

“He’s obviously already tested the old car, but tomorrow is going to be the first time I believe he’s tested the new car, which is so much nicer than the 2022 car.

“He’s going to be all smiles tomorrow, for sure, it’s a drastic difference! And the more information and the more input we get the better. I don’t know what to expect [with] what he’s going to come back with, but we’ll definitely take it in.”