Toto Wolff is a big believer in the talent of Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli, and the Austrian sees a big future in F1 for the young Italian if his skills are given time to flourish.
Antonelli, who joined Mercedes junior programme as a young karter, graduated full-time to cars in 2022 and immediately won the Italian F4 and ADAC Formula 4 Championships.
Last season, the 17-year-old kicked off his year with another title in the Middle East Formula Regional series before sealing the Drivers’ title in the Formula Regional European Championship at Zandvoort with two races to spare.
Antonelli’s credentials and Mercedes’ support earned him a promotion, not to Formula 3 but directly to the FIA Formula 2 Championship with Prema Racing.
Last November, on the series’ initial day of testing at Yas Marina, Antonelli hit the ground running as he clocked the second-fastest time behind his experienced Prema teammate and Ferrari hopeful Oliver Bearman.
While it might be premature to label the teenage rookie as a title favorite in F2 for 2024, given the notorious challenges of adapting to the category, his swift rise inevitably echoes the trajectory of one Max Verstappen.
But it’s early days still insists Wolff who is full of praise for Mercedes’ protégé but also cautious on Antonelli’s future.
“We got Kimi under the wings in 2012 and he was a great kid already then. You could see the character, he was strong,” Wolff said.
“We had him in the garage and there was a lot of confidence. And then in go-karting his track record was immense, and then you put him in the junior formulas and he wins every single season in his rookie year.
“But we’ve got to be careful because there’s a lot of hype around Kimi. Putting him into F2 is a big step because those cars are heavier and much more powerful.
“But if we give him time – and don’t expect him to be killing it in his first season – I think he can be a really great one in this sport.”
©Mercedes
Wolff is right to underscore the hype surrounding its young gun who is already being touted as a candidate for a seat at Williams in 2025.
But as the Mercedes team boss suggests, much will depend on how Antonelli acquits himself this year in F2.
“I think it depends on how it goes,” the Austrian continued. “It’s new cars, which is an advantage, and it all depends on how quick you can be.
“But there are some tough competitors that get to go into the second season – Fred [Vasseur] has [Bearman] – that are highly rated.
“I think, whether it’s a season or two, he needs to demonstrate that he’s ready for a seat in F1. And there’s another step in between: we’ve got to concentrate on F2, nothing else.”
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