A new documentary showing the decision to promote Kimi Antonelli to Mercedes race seats will air on Netflix following this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix.
It is entitled “The Seat,” a 45-minute documentary premiere on May 5th, and features private conversations that took place when the team overwhelmed anyone replacing Lewis Hamilton, tied up by a Ferrari. Produced in partnership with Mercedes sponsor WhatsApp, the documentary features a call and discussion between the team’s principals Toto Wolff and Antonelli as they prepare the young Italian talent to be announced as the driver choice for 2025.
“Selecting you as a race driver for 2025 was a big decision, as a ‘seat’ document,” Wolf said. “WhatsApp played an instrumental role in this. Everything was moving smoothly and personally, an engine that allowed the team to focus on Kimi’s development, discuss progress and ultimately communicate their choices.
“We look forward to giving F1 fans around the world a unique insight into the process, showing how they reached this pivotal moment in the team’s history.”
The team explains the decision to hand over the rookies “a single driver change in Mercedes and Formula 1 history” to the opportunity, with the trailer containing an explanation of how inexperienced Hamilton’s replacement was during his promotion from Formula 2.
“To be an F1 driver for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team is a dream,” Antonelli said. “Through the whole process, Toto, The Team, and I have been constantly communicating on WhatsApp. “The Seat” illustrates this process from start to finish.
“I can’t wait for the world to take part in this journey of streaming Netflix documentaries.”
WhatsApp is prominently mentioned, this is the partnership’s second original film project and the partnership’s second film project featuring Hamilton, entitled “Push, Push” last year.