Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli unharmed in road accident before Bahrain test

Mercedes junior driver Kimi Antonelli walked away unharmed from a road accident in Italy on Saturday, just days before his first official Formula 1 pre-season test in Bahrain. The 18-year-old was driving a rare, limited-edition Mercedes-AMG road car when the single-vehicle incident occurred, with team officials confirming the schedule for this week's crucial test remains unaffected.

Why it matters:

For a driver on the cusp of his first full F1 season, any incident—especially one involving significant machinery—raises immediate concerns about fitness and focus. Antonelli's unscathed exit is a major relief for Mercedes, which is counting on a smooth integration for its highly touted rookie during a critical pre-season period where every lap of data matters for developing the new W17 car.

The details:

• The accident happened near Antonelli's home in Serravalle, San Marino, on Saturday evening. Local police attended the scene after being called by the driver himself.
• Antonelli was driving a Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+ "Motorsport Collectors Edition," one of only 200 such models produced globally. The high-performance vehicle features a hand-painted Petronas livery and sustained damage in the incident.
• In an official statement, Mercedes confirmed: "His was the only car involved and, although the vehicle sustained damage, Kimi was completely unharmed."
• The car, delivered to Antonelli only weeks ago, is a 612-horsepower V8 model with enhanced aerodynamics, though it proved no match for the guardrail involved in this particular encounter.

What's next:

The team confirms it is business as usual for the Bahrain pre-season test, which begins Wednesday. Antonelli is scheduled to drive the Mercedes W17 on Wednesday afternoon, Thursday morning, and Friday afternoon, sharing duties with teammate George Russell. All attention now shifts from the roadside in Italy to the racetrack in Sakhir, where Antonelli's performance behind the wheel of an F1 car will be the only impact that matters to the team.