Antonelli on course for F1 drive at Williams in 2024? Or only 2025?

After Lewis Hamilton shocked Mercedes, with his move to Ferrari in 2025. leaving the former World Champions looking for a suitable driver to fill the Briton's shoes. Antonelli is one of the outsiders for the job.

Ferrari-disband Carlos Sainz a likely and sensible candidate thanks to his GP-winning experience, current form and overall suitability to partner Russell. But if there is a snag, Antonelli could be on the radar if he ups his game in F2. But the wise way would be to put him a year or two at Williams, much like they did to prep Valtteri Bottas and Russell.

Meanwhile, as he is clearly the 'chosen one' it makes sense to give the kid as much F1 as they can within the rules. His first opportunity to drive an F1 car came when he tested the 2021 Mercedes W12 - the one that won nine times that year - at Red Bull Ring for a couple of days, earlier this month.

After the session at the Austrian Grand Prix venue, Antonelli reported: “It’s been an incredible experience, it was really great to feel the power and downforce. I loved every second of it. It was really good fun.

"I want to thank all the team for all their hard work. I have learned a lot in these two days, things which will be really helpful when I go back to F2. But I need to keep working, and keep improving too," added Antonelli, who turns 18 in August.

Talk in Italian media is that Antonelli could be lined up to 'sub' for underperforming Logan Sargeant at Imola or Monza, in the American's Williams. But that sounds more like an overly optimistic lobby to get the teenager from Bologna onto the grid. But this is F1: Never say never!

The sensible thing to do is eject Sargeant at the end of this season as there are no signs he has the stuff of an F1 winner, which should be the goal and realistic potential of any driver. Two seasons will have proved that.

Thus for 2025, no surprise if in step Mercedes customers Williams, run by Mini-Toto aka James Vowles, and young Kimi would be thrust into the backend of the grid, to show what he is made of much as Russell did. But that hardly solves the dilemma on any level.

Meanwhile, the testing continues for Mercedes and Antonelli. His second private test, today at Imola driving the team's less-successful, zero-side-pods 2022 Mercedes W13, a one-time GP winner in Russell's hands. The young Italian was out again, pounding laps and making his case to be fast-tracked into F1

The Italian graduated to Formula 2 - Formula 1's top feeder series - after winning Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA) last season. In 2022, he won titles in both Italian and German F4 series. He has been a member of our junior programme since 2019.

More commonly known by his middle name, Kimi, he was born in Bologna, Italy, in 2006 where he grew up. He joined the Mercedes Junior Programme in April 2019, off the back of various titles and wins in the junior karting categories.

Kimi went on to win the WSK Euro Series and Super Master Series titles in the OK Junior category that season, as well as finishing runner-up in the FIA Karting European Championship and finishing fifth at the FIA Karting World Championship.

In 2020, he stepped up to the OK class, claiming the FIA Karting European Championship and WSK Euro Series.

In 2021, Antonelli competed in various international karting series in the OK class, winning the FIA European Championship once again, before moving up to single-seater racing at the end of the season in Italian Formula 4 for the final three rounds with Prema, showing impressive pace and scoring podium finishes.

He moved up to Formula 4 full-time in 2022 and stormed to the ADAC and Italian titles in impressive fashion with Prema Racing. For 2023, he made the jump to Formula Regional, taking the title in the Middle Eastern version of the series. He then went onto claim the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine title too – scoring five wins.

For 2024, Kimi has moved up to Formula 2 with Prema, racing on the F1 support bill. He lies ninth, his best result so far he scored P4 at Albert Park last time out.