Kimi Antonelli, who is only 17, has been projected to succeed Lewis Hamilton.
Kimi Antonelli has made it obvious that he wants to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. This week’s reports say that the Italian teenager will be revealed as a Silver Arrows driver at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.
The 17-year-old has been connected with the second Mercedes seat throughout his rookie Formula Two season, but with Max Verstappen now clearly out of reach, Toto Wolff has made Antonelli his top goal.
Antonelli told Autosport on the idea of becoming an F1 driver: “Some degree of worry, I think, is always present; the prospect of not being able to perform, I think, frightens everyone.” My approach is to see it as an excellent opportunity to learn, grow, and appreciate the present moment.
“I’m not afraid of being assessed; I know Mercedes has a clear judgment about my potential; this season in F2, the championship didn’t start well, but there were no negative thoughts.
“I am fairly cool; if an opportunity presented itself, I would seize it with enthusiasm and try to make the most of it. With all of the rumors about next year, I’ve been feeling some pressure lately, but I’ve always tried to have fun. I am appreciating the chances that have come my way.”
Antonelli is currently focusing on his F2 campaign. When the Italian was confirmed as one-half of the Prema Racing line-up at the start of the year, with Ferrari-backed youngster Oliver Bearman, it was expected that the two would compete for the title.
This has not been the case, and Prema Racing has struggled substantially with the current generation of F2 machines. Despite this, Antonelli has had time to shine. He leads Bearman by 87-34 in the intra-team duel and has two wins this season.
“I’m very happy to be considered, but I’m not asking for anything,” Antonelli continued. “At the moment my goal is to do well in Formula Two, then we’ll see.
“I still see it as a dream. Yes, I did happen to think about it, but it is a passing thought. In all honesty, I can tell you that for me today it is still a dream. We’ll see if it comes true.”
