During the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, Kimi Antonelli emerged victorious in his second Formula 2 race.
Mercedes’ junior driver Kimi Antonelli will take the wheel of the W13 for a day’s testing at Spa-Francorchamps following the Belgian Grand Prix.
After clinching his second Formula 2 victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix last weekend, the talented Italian driver has emerged as a top contender for the open seat at Mercedes, left vacant by Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari.
Mercedes confirm testing day for Kimi Antonelli
Antonelli, who has already had multiple experiences driving an older Mercedes vehicle this season, is set to take the wheel of a 2022 Mercedes W13 for a day of track action at Spa-Francorchamps.
Speaking to select media, including PlanetF1.com, ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, Mercedes‘ head of trackside engineering Andrew Shovlin confirmed that, despite the logistical headache that arranging such a test includes, Antonelli will be given another day behind the wheel as part of the team’s testing of previous cars (TPC) programme.
Shovlin stated that running a TPC programme is challenging due to the packed F1 race calendar. Additionally, he mentioned that there is no dedicated team available for this task.
“One of the realities of the cost cap is the absence of the test team we had in the past. Kimi is also preoccupied with his F2 calendar, which demands significant attention when in Europe.”
“We have additional events scheduled. After the weekend, we will be spending a day with him here in Spa.”
In addition, Shovlin assured that Antonelli will have more opportunities through the TPC testing programme. These valuable experiences will continue to enhance his familiarity with a Formula 1 car, making him the top contender for the seat in the upcoming season.
“Afterwards, there are additional events scheduled later in the year. So far, everything is progressing smoothly, and the upcoming programs will focus on instructing him about the importance of refining his approach to qualifying and long runs. The aim is to provide him with the necessary guidance to identify areas for improvement and work on them effectively.”
However, everything is going smoothly and there are numerous upcoming events in the pipeline.
Mercedes aims to persuade Max Verstappen to switch teams from Red Bull. However, since negotiations between current Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz and Mercedes came to a standstill a few weeks ago, Antonelli has emerged as the top contender for the position.
With practice sessions at Imola, Silverstone, and the Red Bull Ring, the Italian driver will further enhance their skills in maneuvering a Mercedes F1 car. The upcoming Spa day provides them with a valuable opportunity to spend a few more hours behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car that closely resembles the current models, especially considering the scarcity of testing opportunities with the current cars.
Kimi Antonelli: I don’t know if I’m ready for F1
Antonelli’s journey in Formula 2 began with a sluggish start due to the underwhelming performance of the Prema car this season. However, his perseverance paid off as he gradually secured consistent points finishes, culminating in a remarkable first-ever win in the Sprint race at Silverstone. Building on this success, Antonelli continued to shine by clinching victory in the feature race at the Hungaroring.
However, even though he has made significant progress and currently sits in sixth place in the drivers’ standings, Antonelli has openly acknowledged that he doesn’t feel fully prepared to make the leap into Formula 1 just yet.
“I’m not sure if I’ll be ready, to be honest,” Antonelli expressed during the press conference after his victory in Hungary.
“I am constantly gaining knowledge and experience in F2. Undoubtedly, I still commit a fair share of mistakes. Specifically, there are certain crucial aspects that I am yet to master.”
However, he clarified that he is on the correct trajectory, as his victory at Silverstone had alleviated some of his burden.
The Italian expressed, “Without a doubt, being from Silverstone, I feel significantly lighter, as there is noticeably less pressure weighing on my shoulders.”
Weekend after weekend, the pressure continued to mount, evident from all the conversations.
The Silverstone race brought me immense relief, and throughout this weekend, I felt like my mind was unburdened compared to the previous one. I approached my driving with a greater sense of freedom, relying on my natural instincts rather than overthinking about the end result. My sole focus was on myself and giving my best.
I believe it was quite evident. This victory, even in a prominent race under dry conditions, brings immense relief and is a significant achievement for everyone involved.
Toto Wolff, the team boss of Mercedes, appears unfazed by Antonelli’s admission, stating that the performance data from his Formula 1 experiences will speak for itself.
The Mercedes team principal stated that we often overlook the fact that our younger selves lacked maturity. If we reflect on who we were at 17, it becomes evident that we would not have been capable of making decisions in such a highly competitive field.
I hope to witness him making mistakes, learning from them, and consistently leading the team to enhance PREMA’s performance. This includes excelling in areas like tire management, race analysis, and understanding the tire dynamics, as he demonstrated today. It will be interesting to observe whether he can maintain this level of expertise going forward.
However, it is always quite challenging to adjust in F2. Therefore, we rely on the information from Kimi’s Formula 1 testing to understand the situation better.
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