There are very few drivers who make you sit up and take notice. Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri have had checkered junior careers, which set them on the path to ultimate success in Formula 1.
Now, talent scouts are drooling over someone who could be the next superstar after a meteoric rise through the feeder series. His homeland, Italy, has been starved of talent that could emulate the likes of Alberto Ascari and become world champion.
The name of this new superstar is Kimi Antonelli. An Italian child prodigy whose father was a former touring car star went from winning multiple go-kart titles to earning a potential F1 degree with Mercedes in three years.
Antonelli has big shoes to fill, as he will replace Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. However, if his driving ability and cool demeanor translate from Formula 2 to F1, he will likely take to the task at hand like a duck to water.
Why is this young Italian the right choice to go to Mercedes?
No fear, race
Photo: @PREMA_Team/X
After winning the 2023 European Formula Regional Championship with PREMA Powerteam, Antonelli has moved from FRECA to F2 for 2024.
The F2 and FRECA cars are like chalk and cheese both aesthetically and in performance. The 2024 Dallara F2 has 620bhp, a six-speed sequential gearbox, no tire warmers and weighs 795kg, about the same as an F1 car. In contrast, the Tatuus 318 used in FRECA uses a 1.8-liter Renault four-cylinder engine that produces 270bhp and weighs just 644kg with the driver on board.
Antonelli's challenge was compounded by the fact he had 45 minutes to learn circuits such as Monaco and Albert Park, before being thrown straight into a 30-minute qualifying session.
Antonelli took some time to adapt, but the Italian showed early signs of his pace with a pair of fourth-place finishes on the Melbourne and Imola stages.
However, PREMA’s unfortunately disappointing start to 2024 limited Antonelli and his teammate, future Haas driver Oliver Bearman, in what they could achieve this season.
But Antonelli has produced some stunning moments when battling through the pack. In the Feature race at the Hungaroring, the Italian made a sensational move around the outside of Zane Maloney at Turn 9, a corner not known as an overtaking spot.
It was a move that won Antonelli his first Feature race, beating Frenchman Victor Martins by 12 seconds. In a wet Sprint race at Spa, the Italian made another bold move, passing Franco Colapinto on the outside of the infamous Eau Rouge.
These two instances where Antonelli took risks on corners, in unclear situations for overtaking opportunities, and succeeded, demonstrate that he has the swagger and precision needed to survive in F1.
The more power, the better
Photo: @PREMA_Team/X
Before graduating in F2, Antonelli had proven himself to be a capable driver behind the wheel of heavier and more powerful cars.
In the opening race of the 2023 Italian GT Championship held at the Misano circuit, Antonelli made an appearance on a Mercedes AMG GT3 Evo run by AKM Motorsport.
At just 16 years old, Antonelli, competing against drivers twice his age and with much more experience, took pole position and victory in race 1. Although he only competed in one round of the championship, the Italian proved he could compete with and beat older drivers in faster and heavier cars.
That momentum has carried over to F2, where he has quickly adapted to the much more powerful Dallara despite PREMA’s struggles for pace. Once accustomed to F2, Antonelli has been able to shine in the latter stages of the second half of 2024 and should return from the summer break as a serious contender for more wins. However, a title fight may be out of the question as the Italian currently sits seventh in the drivers’ standings, 87 points behind runaway championship leader Frenchman Isack Hadjar.
Ability to be up to the task at hand
Photo: @PREMA_Team/X
In 2023, Antonelli's name began to be linked with an F1 birth after his FRECA title. However, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, who had signed him to the team's young driver academy when he was 11, eased the pressure on the Italian by saying he would be given time to adapt to F2.
However, when F2 arrived at Silverstone, Wolff put some pressure on Antonelli's shoulders, telling an FIA team principal press conference that he “would have to swim” if he wanted to make the move to F1 by 2025.
Conditions for the Silverstone Sprint race were suitable for swimming, as heavy rain had soaked the track before the start, meaning the start would be a rolling one.
Starting from reversed pole position, Antonelli made no mistake, taking his first F2 win in a race marred by numerous safety cars and a red flag due to poor conditions.
Away from F2, Antonelli has undertaken an extensive F1 testing programme in the 2022 Mercedes car alongside the team’s reserve driver Mick Schumacher. While it’s not officially a head-to-head battle between the two, having the German as a point of reference will help the Italian identify areas that need improvement.
Bottom line: He's bold, he's cheeky, but Antonelli is the one
Photo: @PREMA_Team/X
Wolff is taking a bold gamble by hiring Antonelli, when a few months ago there were other, more experienced drivers on the table, but if there's one driver he should bet on, it's him.
Mercedes have never forgotten how they lost Max Verstappen to Red Bull in 2014, after the Dutchman chose the Austrian outfit after being promised a seat in F1 for 2015.
They don't want to make the same mistake twice and, after his first win at Silverstone, it's clear that Antonelli is gaining confidence and prestige with the experience he gains.
It is difficult to predict how he will fare in his rookie season. Although Mercedes is on the rise, Antonelli should not be expected to win races or get a few podiums straight away. High expectations have been placed on F1 rookies after good debut races, only for the inevitable teething problems to bring them back to reality.
Yuki Tsunoda is a prime example of running before walking. The Japanese star was hailed as F1’s best newcomer after a strong ninth place in the 2021 Bahrain GP, but a series of erratic races damaged his confidence. Red Bull stepped in, moving him to Italy to be closer to the AlphaTauri factory in Faenza and having him act as a mentor to Alex Albon.
The move paid off and Tsunoda has been steadily improving since then, as his confidence has grown. He has been one of the stars of the first half of 2024, finishing seventh twice, and is on the verge of a top drive.
Antonelli will get a lot of attention either way, but given the trajectory of his career, he won't have any problems.