Sim racing is quickly becoming the favourite pastime for plenty of Formula 1 drivers and one of their best training aids when getting ready for races.
Max Verstappen is constantly honing his skills behind the scenes despite having won three world championships and even races for Team Redline outside of his F1 duties.
Speaking on the Missed Apex Podcast, sim racer Scott Tuffey shared his experience racing against one of the most hyped-up names in motor racing right now.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli has only raced in three rounds of Formula 2 in his career, coming into the series as a young but successful regional championship winner in 2024.
However, he’s already being talked about as the next rookie to break into F1, with Williams driver Logan Sargeant the man who could potentially make way.
Antonelli has even been suggested as a direct replacement for Lewis Hamilton when he moves to Ferrari such is the belief that Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has in him.
However, Tuffey has now explained something Antonelli needs to work on after racing against him on the sim.
Unsurprisingly, the 17-year-old still has plenty to learn.
READ MORE: Who is Mercedes academy driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli? Everything you need to know
Kimi Antonelli has work to do after sim racing battle
Before he had even finished racing – and winning – the Formula Regional European Championship last year, Kimi Antonelli was being lined up to make a big leap in his career.
Drivers at that level – of the equivalent F4 category – tend to be promoted into Formula 3 if they’ve had a good enough season or have enough financial backing.
For example, the runner-up to Antonelli in FRECA last year was Martinius Stenshorne who joined Hitech in F3 this year, winning his first race at that level in Australia.
However, Antonelli was not only going straight into Formula 2 above that, Mercedes had placed him with PREMA, one of the most successful teams in the junior formula series.
They also knew they would be able to compare him with an incredibly strong benchmark at that level.
His teammate this season is Oliver Bearman and the Ferrari youngster is widely expected to be racing for Haas in 2025.
He proved his credential in Saudi Arabia when called upon at the last minute to replace Carlos Sainz and still sits above nine drivers in the F1 Drivers’ Championship thanks to his 7-place finish.
However, Antonelli is far from the finished product and one sim racing event has seen Tuffey provide the teenager with some advice on what he needs to improve on.
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Kimi Antonelli’s future key to Formula 1 driver market
Talking about a race he had with the Italian, Tuffey said: “I will say with Kimi Antonelli, he does need to improve on his wheel-to-wheel [racing] though because he couldn’t overtake me in iRacing in a Super Formula Lights.
“So, Toto [Wolff] if you’re listening, sorry I must have missed your voicemail for that test at Silverstone.”
While Antonelli might have some work to do during his sim racing exploits, there’s going to be a lot more focus on his F2 progress in the next few months.
The series returns for the first time since Australia in Imola where Antonelli’s teammate Oliver Bearman will be testing the Haas car in FP1 for the first time.
Antonelli needs to start putting in performances in F2 that make him really stand out from the crowd.
Considering he won’t be allowed to take part in free practice in Formula 1 until August – unless he gets special dispensation – then all he can do is take part in private tests and prove that he’s the driver to beat within his current series.
Williams still appears to be his most likely destination, but Toto Wolff may try and place another driver in that seat if he’s not quite ready.
It’s so important to be in the right place at the right time in F1 and if Antonelli does have a chance to join the grid, he needs to make sure he’s ready to take it.
The post ‘I will say’: Sim driver explains what Kimi Antonelli must ‘improve’ after facing him in wheel-to-wheel battle appeared first on F1 Oversteer.
