Hamilton - who won six of his seven world titles at the Silver Arrows - completed his switch to rivals Ferrari during the off-season, where he will hope to rediscover his form having cut a frustrated figure for much of the past three years.

Until recently, the 18-year-old Italian sensation couldn't legally drive a modest 1ltr hatchback on public roads, despite being trusted by Mercedes to fill the shoes of none other than Lewis Hamilton in their high-stakes F1 races.

Antonelli turned 18, the minimum age to drive on public roads in Italy, in August 2024. Read more at straitstimes.com.