Andrea Kimi Antonelli, a highly regarded junior driver from Prema Racing, is set to undergo his first Formula 1 test with Mercedes. The test will take place at the Red Bull Ring in Austria in mid-April. According to Motorsport.com, the 17-year-old Italian will have a two-day test session on April 16 at the Austrian GP circuit. This test is made possible thanks to the F1 Testing of Previous Cars regulations, which allow teams to use 2022 cars for reserve and junior talent programs. It will be the first time that current generation ground-effect cars are used for this purpose.
Antonelli will be driving the W13, which was Mercedes’ last race-winning car. This test is part of a series of planned outings to familiarize the young driver with the demands of Formula 1. Antonelli is currently competing in his debut season in Formula 2 with the Italian team Prema. He decided to skip Formula 3 after an impressive 2023 season, where he clinched the drivers’ title in the Alpine Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA). In Formula 2, he currently sits in ninth place in the drivers’ standings with 24 points. His best result so far was a fourth-place finish in the recent standout race at Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia.
Antonelli’s rapid rise through the junior categories has led to speculation that he could be a potential replacement for Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025. With Hamilton moving to Maranello next season, there has been much discussion about who will partner George Russell at Mercedes in the future. Some of the potential candidates include Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz, but team principal Toto Wolff reportedly has a keen interest in luring Max Verstappen away from Red Bull, where he has a long-term contract.
Wolff expressed his admiration for Verstappen and has previously stated that he missed the opportunity to hire him while he was still competing in Formula 3. However, with Antonelli also on his radar, Wolff will need to be cautious not to let another young talent slip away. He acknowledged the hype surrounding Antonelli, but emphasized the need to proceed with caution and not rush the young Italian.
