When Toto Wolff stated Mercedes “may try something bold” in choosing their 2025 substitute for Lewis Hamilton, many took the apparently obscure assertion to be very particular.
It is actually no straightforward activity to fill the boots of Formulation 1’s most profitable driver however Mercedes could have a future celebrity on their arms in 17-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli, who goes by Kimi reasonably than Andrea, will compete in Formulation 2 this 12 months, with each race stay on Sky Sports activities F1, and might be in Formulation 1 as early as 2025.
Whereas Mercedes boss Wolff urged warning when straight requested about Antonelli as a possible substitute for the Ferrari-bound Hamilton, it was notable that he did not rule out the prospect of the Italian being fast-tracked into considered one of F1’s most fascinating seats.
“We got that curveball thrown at us with Lewis in the beginning of February and I want to do the opposite when choosing the driver for next year,” stated Wolff.
“It is clear Kimi has been in our junior academy since he was 11 and we now have had nice pleasure in watching him develop as a younger man and rising via the ranks.
“However I additionally wish to take slightly little bit of stress off him. He is simply turned 17. He is gained the whole lot he wanted to win in his rookie season, however I believe he’s going to be in Formulation 1.
“He’s going to be a very, very successful driver in Formula 1. But he hasn’t started his Formula 2 campaign yet. They had a difficult test in the first days in Bahrain and we shall see how he develops. That’s why I want to want to wait out the first few [F2] races that are actually going to go with Formula 1.
“There are various superb pilots in Formulation 1 out there for subsequent 12 months or so and that is all going to return into the equation when deciding on the driving force line-up for subsequent 12 months, however that is not going to occur anytime quickly.”
So who is this teenager that we appear likely to be hearing a lot more about in the future, and why is there so much excitement? We spoke to Sky Italy’s F1 expert Roberto Chinchero, who has closely followed Antonelli’s career, to find out.
Karting dominance attracts F1 attention
Antonelli, born in Bologna, was signed by Mercedes as a junior driver in 2019 having impressed in karting.
He has been profitable in nearly each motorsport class he has entered, dominating numerous karting championships earlier than making the step as much as racing vehicles in 2021.
“He comes from a family that was a motorsport one,” Chinchero says. “His father was a racing driver in touring cars, he had a team in F4, so the family knows how it works in the business and they are trying to protect him too.
“Within the final, not less than, 20 years, I’ve by no means seen an Italian as sturdy as Kimi. He is F1 materials. He is gained 4 championships in two years in single-seaters and has gained all of the collection. Formulation 2 is a giant step from Formulation Regional.
“Antonelli is already under pressure. I think he’s a top driver and I’m sure we will see him in F1.”
Italian F4 was the vacation spot which Antonelli took midway via 2021 when he turned 15 years outdated. In direction of the tip of the season, he challenged eventual champion Oliver Bearman, the English Ferrari junior, who shall be his team-mate in F2 this 12 months.
“When he started karting, immediately we saw he was a super guy, so lots of junior programmes approached him like Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes and others,” continued Chinchero.
“But you always ask, how good will he be in single-seaters? The answer is, very strong. After his first F4 tests with Prema, I called the team and asked how is he doing. The team said ‘absolutely amazing’.
“We stated ‘let’s look ahead to the primary race as a result of testing is testing’. The primary races confirmed that this man could be very, superb. We’ve had no Italians like Kimi till now. I am assured he is not going to solely be the following Italian in F1 however the subsequent Italian that may win in F1.”
Seamless switch to junior categories
In his first full F4 marketing campaign in 2022, Antonelli had a troublesome begin to the season with gearbox points and call on the opening weekend. Nevertheless, he went on to win 13 of the remaining 17 races, producing loads of consideration alongside the way in which.
Alongside Italian F4, Antonelli competed in German F4, and took seven consecutive pole positions and 7 victories from the opening eight races. Regardless of lacking three rounds, he dominated the championship to win by 47 factors from Britain’s Taylor Barnard.
In October 2022, Antonelli gained the F4 class within the FIA Motorsport Video games with a damaged wrist, which maybe says one thing about his character in addition to his calmness.
The subsequent soar up the ladder was to Formulation Regional in 2023. Antonelli continued to impress as he gained the Formulation Regional Center East Championship 12 months in the past and the European Championship final 12 months.
Mercedes had been so impressed that they opted to place Antonelli straight into Formulation 2 for this season, reasonably than Formulation 3. It is harking back to Max Verstappen’s quick rise when he went from karting to Formulation 3 to Formulation 1 within the house of 15 months.
Requested if Antonelli might be at an analogous degree to the very best younger drivers presently in F1, Chinchero stated: “Absolutely yes. From some people’s point of view, he’s maybe even more impressive. F2 will be a big challenge because it’s a huge step.
“We’ve to contemplate Mercedes will attempt in each solution to shield Kimi. The goal now could be to do nearly as good as a job attainable in F2.
“He does not have an easy job because his team-mate is Oliver Bearman, who’s in his second year and is a very talented guy.
“It will not be straightforward for him however I had the chance to talk to him in February and he regarded something however an under-pressure man and was very enthusiastic about his subsequent chapter.”
Why Italy’s large star selected Mercedes over Ferrari
Just like the UK, Italy loves its motorsport however they’ve had only a few drivers thrive in F1. The final Italian race winner was Giancarlo Fisichella on the 2006 Malaysian Grand Prix.
Nino Farina and Alberto Ascari are the one Italian world champions however they each drove within the Fifties. Enzo Ferrari did not like the thought of getting an Italian driver racing for Ferrari, so the will hasn’t been sturdy for younger karters to succeed in F1.
You may additionally be questioning why Antonelli select to hitch Mercedes over the Ferrari junior programme…
“I asked Kimi a few times this question,” Chinchero says. “He said in that moment he signed with Mercedes, he was the youngest driver in the category. Ferrari already had other guys who were the same age as Kimi.
“From his viewpoint, Mercedes went ‘we consider in you and solely have you ever’ in order that’s why he signed with Mercedes. He had no inside competitors.”
How will Antonelli fare in F2?
Antonelli will drive for Prema, top-of-the-line F2 groups on the 22-car grid. Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri each gained the F2 title of their rookie campaigns and Antonelli would like to do the identical.
His team-mate Bearman had a powerful first season in 2023 and is anticipated to be a title contender together with the likes of Victor Martins, Zak O’Sullivan, Franco Colapinto and Gabriel Bortoleto.
It guarantees to be a really thrilling season, maybe the very best since George Russell, Lando Norris and Alex Albon went head-to-head in 2018 earlier than shifting as much as F1.
“I think the answers in terms of how well Kimi does will arrive after the first two or three races,” stated Chinchero.
“For Kimi, it’s completely new with tyre management and having two tyre compounds, the car is more powerful too.
“We will know early on if he can fight for the title this season. If that’s the case, it will be very, very big news. Mercedes don’t put pressure on him though and have always said it’s a two-year programme in F2.”
Might Antonelli actually exchange Hamilton?
The concept of Antonelli changing Hamilton in 2025 can’t be completely dismissed, even when it sounds unlikely now.
If he continues his development of profitable in the whole lot he drives, Mercedes will strongly take into account him as a lot as they wish to preserve stress off the Italian.
Chinchero, nevertheless, thinks Mercedes will push for Antonelli to hitch Williams first, if he impresses in F2.
“I think the plan will probably see Kimi in Williams, like we saw with George Russell,” he stated.
“When the Lewis announcement happened, people said ‘Kimi should be involved in the driver market for the Mercedes seat.’ But I think it’s difficult because Mercedes cannot wait until September. They have to decide before that time.
“Even when we now have a situation with an excellent Kimi that’s profitable in F2, the title continues to be gained in November so I believe the whole lot factors to the Williams path.”
Asked if Mercedes will look at Hamilton’s route to F1 when he went from F2, then called GP2, to a top seat at McLaren on debut, Chinchero answered: “In that point, you had no testing limitations. You had the chance to check each week and that’s completely necessary for a rookie – not solely with the automotive, but additionally with the administration, group, along with your engineer, with knowledge and the whole lot.
“Nowadays, it’s not possible because the kid only had one-and-a-half tests in Bahrain before the first race and that’s it.
“You possibly can work on the simulator but it surely’s not like testing on observe. That is the distinction and why I believe Mercedes will shield Kimi and plan for him to hitch Williams.”
Watch Formulation 2 on Sky Sports activities F1 all through 2024, beginning at this week’s Bahrain Grand Prix with the primary Dash Race at 2.10pm on Friday and the Function Race on Saturday at 10.30am. Stream each F1 race and extra with a NOW Sports activities Month Membership