Mercedes are running the rule over Kimi Antonelli as they decide on a replacement for Lewis Hamilton. The 17-year-old could graduate straight from their driver academy to a top F1 seat.
Toto Wolff has known since the winter that Hamilton was headed to Ferrari for 2025. But it might not be until August that he names his successor.
Part of the reason for that is that he wants to give Antonelli as much time as possible to prove his readiness. After Fernando Alonso signed a new contract at Aston Martin despite holding talks with Mercedes, he looks the favourite for the drive.
Antonelli, 17, is only three rounds into his first season in Formula 2. He’s ninth in the championship right now but scored a season-best fourth place in the Australia feature race last time out.
Former Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg has warned Wolff that it may be too early for the Italian to race for the Silver Arrows. But they’re hoping to prepare him with an extensive testing programme in old Mercedes cars.
Antonelli began with a run in the 2021 challenger, which won the constructors’ championship, at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. The first day of the test was disrupted by bad weather, but the second went more smoothly.
And now he’s been in action at Imola in the W13 from 2022. That car, an aerodynamic misstep, wound up third in the standings, but Mercedes want to see how Antonelli can cope in trickier machinery.
How Kimi Antonelli stacked up against Lewis Hamilton and George Russell
The Italian version of Motorsport.com has now offered some details about Antonelli’s performance at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix circuit. With 50kg of fuel on board, he apparently lapped at a ‘constant pace’ of around 1:20 on hard tyres.
For reference, George Russell averaged a 1:19.4 in the same car in 2022, while Hamilton’s pace was only a shade quicker than Antonelli at 1:19.9. These times are taken from FP2, rather than the race itself, because that was a dry session.
It wasn’t all plain sailing for the youngster as he went into the gravel at Rivazza, but he was able to continue rather than sustaining any damage. For the most part, he’s impressed the team.
It’s difficult to draw direct comparisons to Mercedes’ senior drivers given differences in track conditions and uncertainty around the original fuel loads. But generally speaking, Antonelli has looked anything but overwhelmed.
Intriguingly, the report suggests that preparations are ‘intensifying’. That’s because he could enter F1 sooner than expected.
Will Kimi Antonelli go to Williams?
Rather than waiting until 2025, Antonelli could graduate to F1 from the Italian Grand Prix onwards, when he turns 18. Journalist Joe Saward says he could potentially replace Logan Sargeant at Williams.
Of course, a lot of things have to happen for that to materialise. First off, former Mercedes strategist James Vowles has to agree to it.
According to David Croft, Vowles is a big of Antonelli, but he won’t necessarily want to field the teenager for half a season before handing him over to Mercedes. He might insist on a longer deal.
Much may also depend upon the performances of Sargeant. It will be difficult to justify a premature sacking, especially given the payout that may be required, if he raises his game.
And finally, Mercedes must conclude that the time is right. They’ll be able to make that decision based on the vast data they have from his testing programme, and his showings in F2.
Antonelli won’t be able to escape the pressure when he enters F1 – comparisons to Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc may be unhelpful. But starting out at the lower end of the grid would at least reduce the stakes for the Prema sensation.
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