Kimi Antonelli not ready for a future in Formula 1

Kimi Antonelli, a 17-year-old driver who has been making headlines lately, has been particularly honest about his ability to compete in Formula 1 next year.

While he is the perfect candidate to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, according to him, he still makes far too many mistakes to move up to the top category.

An early passage at Mercedes.

Since the beginning of the year, as Lewis Hamilton, the star driver of the Mercedes team, announced his departure, the team is looking for a replacement for next season. While rumors had long linked Carlos Sainz to Mercedes, it is Kimi Antonelli who has seemed to be the perfect candidate lately. Protected by Toto Wolff, he is currently a driver in Formula 2 and has just won his first race.

Even though he is still too young to join the competition, a few months ago the FIA changed the official rules allowing 17-year-old drivers to join the competition under certain conditions. This news quickly sparked discussion among fans who hope to see Antonelli hit the track this season.

However, this excitement is not shared by the driver who confessed to not having the abilities to join the discipline by 2025. “I don’t know if I will be ready. I am still learning a lot in F2 and I am still making mistakes. There are important details that I do not yet master perfectly,” he told RacingNews365.

While his teammate at Prema, Oliver Bearman, will drive for Haas next season, the young Italian driver has a certain advantage over the next F1 driver. With a 51-point gap in favor of Kimi Antonelli, a promotion would not seem like a surprising choice.

Antonelli remains focused on Formula 2

For now, the Italian driver must remain cautious about his skills. With only a 6th place in the driver championship in Formula 2, he is not the only potential candidate this year. Isack Hadjar, currently leading the championship, is also attracting attention, even though he races under the colors of the Red Bull team.

Kimi Antonelli, who still has to prove that he deserves his place, prefers not to think about next season. “Nothing is official and I don’t know anything, to be honest. The goal is to have the best possible season in F2. Winning two races is good for morale and for the team, especially after a difficult start to the season.” While his performance in the final race in Hungary is commendable, his results for the Saturday race were not similar, indicating some flaws still to be corrected. “On Saturday, I made a mistake at turn 1. I locked up the wheels and, despite that, I kept pushing, which degraded my tires and forced me to pit. But it was a good lesson for the main race,” recognized Antonelli.

With his victory, the Italian has managed to demonstrate his potential, but he is aware that Formula 1 still requires work and experience. For now, he remains focused on Formula 2 and it will be necessary to wait for what appears to be a future in the top category.