Mercedes’ much-discussed Formula One driver change is the focus of The Seat, a documentary zooming to Netflix for a release next month.
The streaming giant has landed director Kyle Thrash’s 45-minute film examining Mercedes’ decision that was announced last year to promote 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli as its driver after Lewis Hamilton‘s exit. Hailing from WhatsApp and Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, The Seat is set for global release on May 5.
The Seat offers rare access into the workings of the Mercedes team and provides an exclusive look at the private conversations through the messaging platform WhatsApp that were at the center of the decision. The documentary gives insight into the life of Antonelli as he became the third-youngest rookie in Formula One history, sharing background on his close family and Italian roots. A trailer that is exclusive to The Hollywood Reporter can be seen below.
“Selecting Kimi as our race driver for 2025 was, as The Seat documents, a big decision,” says Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team principal and CEO Toto Wolff. “WhatsApp played an instrumental role in this. It was the engine that kept everything moving smoothly and privately, allowing our team to focus on Kimi’s development, discuss progress, and ultimately communicate our choice. We’re excited to give F1 fans around the world a unique insight into the process, showing how we arrived at this pivotal moment in the team’s history.”
Adds Antonelli, “It is a dream come true to be an F1 Driver with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. Throughout the process, Toto, the team and I were in constant communication on WhatsApp and The Seat shows this process from start to finish. I can’t wait for the world to join us on this journey, streaming the documentary on Netflix.”
The Seat is the second original film created through WhatsApp and the Mercedes team’s ongoing partnership. It marks the first WhatsApp film to launch on Netflix.
“We are excited to bring users one step closer to the inner workings of a sport they love,” says WhatsApp global head of marketing Vivian Odior. “This story and the WhatsApp messages within them really uncover the journey Mercedes took in navigating this pivotal moment in their history. We have always known WhatsApp, and the privacy we afford users, is integral to the inner workings of Mercedes in addition to being a tool in connecting drivers, fans, everyone really to those closest to them. It’s why this has been an organic partnership and why we knew we could tell this story authentically and delight this worldwide fandom.”
Formula One is getting quite a spotlight in the coming months. Wolff was also involved behind the scenes on the forthcoming Brad Pitt-led feature F1, with director Joseph Kosinski’s Apple film set in the world of racing hitting theaters June 25 from Warner Bros.
