When Toto Wolff mentioned Mercedes “may try something bold” in deciding on their 2025 alternative for Lewis Hamilton, many took the apparently obscure assertion to be very particular.
It’s definitely no straightforward job to fill the boots of Formula 1’s most profitable driver however Mercedes might have a future famous person on their palms in 17-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli, who goes by Kimi relatively than Andrea, will compete in Formula 2 this yr, with each race stay on Sky Sports F1, and might be in Formula 1 as early as 2025.
While Mercedes boss Wolff urged warning when immediately requested about Antonelli as a possible alternative for the Ferrari-bound Hamilton, it was notable that he did not rule out the prospect of the Italian being fast-tracked into one in every 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,” mentioned Wolff.
“It’s 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 by way of the ranks.
“But I additionally need to take just a little little bit of strain off him. He’s simply turned 17. He’s received every part he wanted to win in his rookie season, however I feel he’s going to be in Formula 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 many superb pilots in Formula 1 out there for subsequent yr or so and that is all going to come into the equation when deciding on the driver line-up for subsequent yr, 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
Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli might be the subsequent large star to drive in F1 (Credit Mercedes)
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 up to racing automobiles 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.
“In the final, at the very least, 20 years, I’ve by no means seen an Italian as sturdy as Kimi. He’s F1 materials. He’s received 4 championships in two years in single-seaters and has received all of the sequence. Formula 2 is an enormous step from Formula 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 by way of 2021 when he turned 15 years outdated. Towards the top of the season, he challenged eventual champion Oliver Bearman, the English Ferrari junior, who can be his team-mate in F2 this yr.
“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 mentioned ‘let’s look forward to the primary race as a result of testing is testing’. The first races confirmed that this man could be very, superb. We have had no Italians like Kimi till now. I’m assured he won’t solely be the subsequent Italian in F1 however the subsequent Italian that can 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 contact on the opening weekend. However, he went on to win 13 of the remaining 17 races, producing loads of consideration alongside the best way.
Alongside Italian F4, Antonelli competed in German F4, and took seven consecutive pole positions and seven victories from the opening eight races. Despite lacking three rounds, he dominated the championship to win by 47 factors from Britain’s Taylor Barnard.
In October 2022, Antonelli received the F4 class within the FIA Motorsport 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 Formula Regional in 2023. Antonelli continued to impress as he received the Formula Regional Middle East Championship 12 months in the past and the European Championship final yr.
Mercedes have been so impressed that they opted to put Antonelli straight into Formula 2 for this season, relatively than Formula 3. It’s paying homage to Max Verstappen’s quick rise when he went from karting to Formula 3 to Formula 1 within the area of 15 months.
Asked if Antonelli might be at the same stage to one of the best younger drivers presently in F1, Chinchero mentioned: “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 have to think about Mercedes will strive in each manner to defend Kimi. The goal now’s to do nearly as good as a job doable 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 communicate to him in February and he seemed something however an under-pressure man and was very enthusiastic about his subsequent chapter.”
Why Italy’s large star selected Mercedes over Ferrari
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 Nineteen Fifties. Enzo Ferrari did not like the concept of getting an Italian driver racing for Ferrari, so the will hasn’t been sturdy for younger karters to attain F1.
You can also be questioning why Antonelli select to be a part of 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 perspective, Mercedes went ‘we imagine 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, among the best F2 groups on the 22-car grid. Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri each received the F2 title of their rookie campaigns and Antonelli would love 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 one of the best since George Russell, Lando Norris and Alex Albon went head-to-head in 2018 earlier than transferring up to F1.
“I think the answers in terms of how well Kimi does will arrive after the first two or three races,” mentioned 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.”
Could Antonelli actually replace Hamilton?
Lewis Hamilton discusses his reasoning for transferring to Ferrari and his relationship with staff principal Frederic Vasseur
The thought of Antonelli changing Hamilton in 2025 can’t be completely dismissed, even when it sounds unlikely now.
If he continues his pattern of profitable in every part he drives, Mercedes will strongly think about him as a lot as they need to preserve strain off the Italian.
Chinchero, nonetheless, thinks Mercedes will push for Antonelli to be a part of Williams first, if he impresses in F2.
“I think the plan will probably see Kimi in Williams, like we saw with George Russell,” he mentioned.
“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 if we now have a state of affairs with a brilliant Kimi that’s profitable in F2, the title remains to be received in November so I feel every part 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 take a look at each week and that’s completely necessary for a rookie – not solely with the automobile, but additionally with the administration, staff, along with your engineer, with knowledge and every part.
“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 can work on the simulator however it’s not like testing on monitor. That’s the distinction and why I feel Mercedes will defend Kimi and plan for him to be a part of Williams.”
Watch Formula 2 on Sky Sports F1 all through 2024, beginning at this week’s Bahrain Grand Prix with the primary Sprint Race at 2.10pm on Friday and the Feature Race on Saturday at 10.30am. Stream each F1 race and extra with a NOW Sports Month Membership
Discussion about this post