Mercedes adopt camo livery for Kimi Antonelli's test in fastest-ever F1 car

Andrea Kimi Antonelli has completed his first Mercedes F1 test of the year, running in Lewis Hamilton’s dominant 2020 title-winning car.

Antonelli was in action for Mercedes at Jerez on Wednesday, driving the W11, which is widely regarded as the fastest car in F1 history.

The W11, which took Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas to 13 wins and 15 pole positions during the COVID-hit 2020 season, was given a run-out by Antonelli as he prepared for his first full season in F1.

Mercedes did make one notable change to the car for Antonelli’s day of running at the Spanish circuit.

The W11 ran in a camo livery rather than the striking black it sported during 2020.

This is likely due to a number of sponsors from that season, such as Tommy Hilfiger, no longer being with the team following Hamilton’s departure.

Antonelli was given the fortunate opportunity to drive the W11 because Mercedes wanted to save their TPC (Testing Previous Cars) mileage for later in the year.

For 2025, teams are restricted in how much testing they can do with older machinery.

F1 teams are allocated just 20 days per year of TPC, with current drivers limited to 1000 kilometres of running.

Antonelli will likely be given an opportunity to drive the 2022 or 2023 Mercedes later in the year, on a track he has never driven on, to get up to speed.

He has enjoyed an extensive testing programme ahead of his full-time F1 debut in March, with German publication AMuS reporting he has 9,000km under his belt.

Can Mercedes challenge for F1 title in 2025?

Mercedes have not mounted a title charge since 2021, as they have struggled to get to grips with the ground-effect generation of cars.

While showing pace flashes, Mercedes has struggled with consistency throughout the entire season.

This was highlighted in 2024, with Mercedes’ performance often fluctuating between being able to win races and being the fourth-fastest team.

However, George Russell put together his most impressive campaign, particularly in qualifying.

Russell out-qualified Hamilton 19–5 in the head-to-head, with his average qualifying performance better than both Ferrari drivers across the campaign.

However, if Mercedes starts 2025 on the back foot, it is likely they will switch their focus to the following year and the new rules.

Toto Wolff and James Allison have expressed confidence in Mercedes’ new power unit for next year, admitting the feeling is similar to 2014 - the last time new engine rules were introduced.

Mercedes dominated the start of the V6 hybrid era, with their engine the class of the field.