Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli could jump straight into one of the best seats on the F1 grid. But Nico Rosberg has told Toto Wolff that there’s a problem.
Wolff is trying to decide on the best possible replacement for Lewis Hamilton, who will join Ferrari for 2025. He wants world champion Max Verstappen but Red Bull expect him to honour his long-term contract.
There have been talks with Carlos Sainz, but the two parties are at odds over contract length. And with Fernando Alonso now committed to Aston Martin, Wolff may take a leap of faith in Antonelli.
The 17-year-old has only just started out in Formula 2, with three rounds of racing under his belt. He’s representing the Prema team this year, alongside Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman.
But even though his career is still in his relative infancy, he’s generating huge excitement. Figures at Mercedes believe he can be as good as Verstappen or Charles Leclerc.
So far, he’s backed that up on track. Across the last two seasons, he’s won 34 races, took 31 pole positions and claimed 53 podiums in various series.
He’s yet to finish in the top three in F2 but came close last time out in Australia as he crossed the line fourth in the feature race. The Italian may only be ninth in the standings for now, but there’s still plenty of time to mount a title bid.
Nico Rosberg unconvinced by Andrea Kimi Antonelli right now
Speaking live on Sky Sports F1 ahead of sprint qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix, former Mercedes driver Rosberg acknowledged Antonelli’s potential. But if he isn’t sure if he has what it takes to be George Russell’s teammate just yet.
Wolff intends to wait until around August before he makes a final decision on Hamilton’s successor, by which point Antonelli will have built up his F2 resume. But Rosberg has suggested that a stop at Williams first might ‘make sense’.
He said: “Antonelli is definitely a superstar of the future. Unfortunately, timing-wise, it’s really too early for him, and especially too early for Toto to be able to make a decision on Antonelli.
“He needs to wait until somewhat later in the year as we see how Antonelli does in Formula 2, because he does need a really strong season in Formula 2 to make it a possibility for him to go straight to Mercedes. Otherwise, if anything, some time at Williams would make sense.”
Will Andrea Kimi Antonelli join Williams?
Before graduating to Mercedes, Russell built up his experience over three years at Williams. By the time they called him up to replace Valtteri Bottas, he was performing at a level where he could beat Hamilton over a full season.
Mercedes may yet decide to listen to Rosberg and place him at the Grove outfit too. Boss James Vowles, the former Silver Arrows strategist, is a big fan of Antonelli and the two brands are bound by an engine deal.
The youngster is in contention to replace Logan Sargeant for 2025, with the American driver approaching the end of his contract. But a change could happen even sooner.
There’s a possibility that Antonelli will receive a shot in Sargeant’s car from the Italian Grand Prix onwards, by which point he’ll be 18 and eligible to race. That is contingent, among other things, on the 23-year-old continuing to struggle.
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