During a private test at Imola, Mercedes junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli can be seen on the track.
Mercedes technical director James Allison has hailed Andrea Kimi Antonelli as a “very promising young driver” after the boy wonder commenced an extensive F1 2024 test program with the team.
Antonelli, who is believed to be Mercedes‘ preferred option to succeed Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton in F1 2025, recently stepped up preparations for a likely F1 debut.
Mercedes reveal Andrea Kimi Antonelli first impressions
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
The teenager, who is 17 years old, had his initial experience with F1 equipment during private trials held at the Red Bull Ring and Imola. These venues are also where the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix will take place this weekend. Additionally, it is rumored that he took part in a comparison test at Silverstone alongside Mercedes’ reserve driver Mick Schumacher, as the team sought to assess his capabilities.
On Thursday, Hamilton expressed his backing for Antonelli, stating that if he were in the position of team boss Toto Wolff, he would most likely sign the teenager for a Mercedes seat in F1 2025.
During a conversation with various media outlets, including Thomas Maher from PlanetF1.com, at Imola on Friday, Allison expressed his optimism about Antonelli’s performance. Allison, who has had the opportunity to work with esteemed drivers such as Hamilton, Alonso, Schumacher, and Vettel throughout his career, shared that the initial indications from Antonelli are promising.
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He expressed his delight in listening to the engineers as they described their interaction with him.
He is a young and enthusiastic driver, incredibly fast, and maintains a metronomic pace.
Despite his recent introduction to an F1 car, he quickly demonstrated an impressive level of skill that suggested he had been driving one for a significant amount of time after just one or two laps.
Approaching the era of ground effect cars, he embraced them with a receptive perspective, devoid of any preconceived notions. Despite experiencing the usual emotions, he remained untainted by his encounters with earlier car models.
He simply accepts them as they are and openly expresses his thoughts on their weaknesses and strengths, allowing the engineers to work towards enhancing those aspects.
“He appears to be a highly talented young driver with great potential.”
Amid increasing speculation, Allison’s assessment suggests that Antonelli might have his grand prix debut before the conclusion of the F1 2024 season. This could potentially happen with the Mercedes customer team, Williams.
During the recent Miami Grand Prix, PlanetF1.com disclosed that the FIA has been presented with a special request for Antonelli to participate in F1 before his 18th birthday on August 25, which coincides with the Dutch Grand Prix.
The existing regulations in Formula 1, implemented when a 17-year-old Max Verstappen joined Red Bull’s junior team in 2015, dictate that young drivers cannot obtain a superlicence until they turn 18 years old.
There have been recent speculations implying that Antonelli might step in for Logan Sargeant at Williams, enabling Mercedes to assess him closely before making a final determination on whether to appoint him as George Russell’s teammate for the F1 2025 season.
Despite acknowledging that Sargant’s position is in jeopardy, James Vowles, the team principal of Williams, stated on Friday that the team has no intentions of altering their driver lineup for the ongoing season.
In an interview with Sky F1, he mentioned that having a direct conversation with Sargeant was challenging.
The fact remains plain and simple: he is in a vulnerable position. That is the unembellished truth underlying the situation.
I want him to achieve success in this merit-based system, so I am assisting him in surpassing his current level of performance.
However, currently we are engaging in conversations with several other drivers as we strive to ensure the accuracy of our lineup for the years 2025, 2026, and 2027.
You can expect to witness some promising news in that particular field within a few weeks.
When asked about the possibility of Williams dropping Sargeant before the end of the F1 2024 season, Vowles clarified that it was not the exact message they were trying to convey.
I would like to discuss the drivers of 2025/26 rather than focusing on the current season.
The main point of discussion is how can we establish solid foundations moving forward?
In a few weeks, when the time comes to sign, I will be prepared to proudly declare to the world: ‘This is our current status.’
“And a portion of it is in consideration of Logan. I’ve granted him a chance, and it is in these specific domains that he must demonstrate improvement.”
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