Kimi Antonelli probably didn’t expect to be the centre of attention at this stage of his career. Still only 17 years old, he’s just three rounds into his first season of Formula 2.
Antonelli has made a steady start in F1’s leading feeder series. He enters the fourth weekend of the season at Imola ninth in the championship on 24 points.
But it’s his performances in private F1 tests for Mercedes that have really caught the eye. A ‘stunning’ display in the 2022 Silver Arrow at Imola left Williams hugely impressed.
In fact, James Vowles had seen enough to request special dispensation from the FIA to get Antonelli in the car early. He was ready to fire Logan Sargeant midway through the season.
Antonelli wouldn’t ordinarily be allowed to race in F1 until his 18th birthday at the end of August. But Williams were ready to fight for an exemption.
The Italian is a contender to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next year. A stint at Williams could be the ideal audition for Toto Wolff as he ponders whether or not to take a huge gamble.
Williams cooling on prospect of early Kimi Antonelli debut
Speaking on the Autosport podcast, journalist Alex Kalinauckas relayed what he’d heard from Mercedes sources about the timeline for Antonelli’s debut. The feeling is that Williams may have got ‘carried away’.
Senior F1 figures have stated that there’s ‘next to no chance’ of the FIA bending their rules for the teenager. Vowles and co. are now ready to bide their time, and there’s a chance he has to wait until 2025.
Kalinauckas said: “My understanding of it from various sources, mainly within Mercedes rather than Williams, is that there’s a sense that Williams got ever so slightly carried away with what was going on, or they just didn’t understand various backlash things that were going to happen around this request.
“My understanding is that’s slightly cooled now. ‘Hang on a minute, we’re at least going to wait until he’s 18, so an exemption wouldn’t be needed. Even then, it might not come to pass that he would end up making his Formula 1 debut this year.”
Why Max Verstappen doesn’t like F1 rule that’s hurting Kimi Antonelli
The FIA changed their superlicence criteria after Max Verstappen burst onto the scene as a 17-year-old in 2015. Even the world champion himself acknowledges that he inadvertently ‘created’ the rule.
However, he feels that speed should matter more than age in determining a driver’s readiness for F1. He’s ‘not a fan’ of a system that could ‘prevent talent’ from making it to the sport.
Even though he was the youngest driver ever, Verstappen produced a strong debut campaign for Toro Rosso. He scored 49 points (compared to 18 for teammate Carlos Sainz) and finished 12th in the championship.
Ultimately, though, it might not be the worst thing for Antonelli if he has to wait. With enormous backing from Mercedes, he can feel confident that his time will come.
Damon Hill says he’s already facing ‘a lot of expectation’, and the pressure would go up a notch if Williams abruptly parachuted him into F1. It could actually harm his development.
Naturally given his age, Antonelli remains a rough diamond. For instance, one driver who’s gone up against him on a simulator says he still needs to improve when racing wheel-to-wheel.
The post ‘My understanding is’: Journalist shares what people ‘within Mercedes’ have now told him about Kimi Antonelli appeared first on F1 Oversteer.