Mercedes grooming the next Italian ’Kimi’
"Toto is not going to let him go anytime soon"
Mercedes is already grooming another young Italian talent in the mould of Kimi Antonelli, with 11-year-old Niccolo Perico appearing alongside the team’s senior management at Monza.
Sky Italia spotted Perico inside the Mercedes garage with Toto Wolff, Simone Resta and Bradley Lord, wearing team colours and headphones.
He is not merely a guest - Mercedes officially signed the Italian karter to its junior program for 2026 after a rapid rise through the European karting ranks.
Perico is the son of rally driver Alessandro Perico and has already won the 2024 Italian Mini U10 title, the 2025 ROK Superfinal and Champions of the Future Academy Trophy, before becoming 2026 WSK Super Master Series OK-NJ champion.
Mercedes development boss Gwen Lagrue says the team sees "significant potential in his progression".
The comparison with Antonelli is therefore obvious, with Mercedes having similarly backed the current championship leader from karting through the junior categories and into Formula 1.
But Lewis Hamilton suggested at Monza that Mercedes has no intention of allowing Antonelli himself to become available anytime soon, amid persistent suggestions that the Italian could eventually end up at Ferrari.
"Toto is not going to let him go anytime soon," Hamilton smiled.