Latest rumours have it that young protege Andrea Kimi Antonelli performed better than regular Mercedes driver George Russell in a test shootout, meanwhile Mercedes tries to clarify the situation. 17-year-old motorsport talent Andrea Kimi Antonelli is one of the favourites to succeed Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes Formula 1 team.
The young Italian is said to have outperformed Hamilton’s colleague George Russell in a secret test. Officials at the Silver Arrows have now responded to these rumours.
Rapid rise in motorsport
Recently, Mercedes junior driver Kimi Antonelli has earned high praise from Mercedes Technical Director James Allison following his first F1 test runs with the team. The 17-year-old Italian prodigy, who has been on a meteoric rise through the ranks of motorsport, showed off his skills on F1 machinery and made a significant impression on the team’s senior management.
Antonelli’s journey to Formula 2 this year has been nothing short of spectacular. His career trajectory includes back-to-back title wins in the Italian and German F4 championships, as well as triumphs in the Middle East and European Formula Regional championships.
Backed by Mercedes from 2019, Antonelli’s rise through the racing ranks has been remarkable.
Recently, Antonelli embarked on a special acclimatisation programme, starting with a maiden run in the Mercedes 2021-spec car in Austria. This was soon followed by a test in the 2022 Mercedes at Imola ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. These sessions provided the young driver with invaluable experience and the opportunity to demonstrate his abilities in a Formula 1 environment.
Allison’s praise for Antonelli
James Allison, one of the most influential figures at Mercedes, did not hold back in his assessment of Antonelli’s performance during these tests.
“He’s certainly impressed everyone with the sessions he’s done so far,” said Allison. “He’s never been in an F1 car before, but he looked like he had been in one or two laps.”
Allison went on to highlight Antonelli’s natural aptitude and composure, qualities often lacking in young drivers trying to make an impression.
“It’s a cliché, but he’s fast, he’s consistent, he didn’t make any mistakes. Young people can try to impress so much that they spin out, or the opposite, they’re so scared of spinning out that they don’t really show what they can do. Kimi just seemed to get into the right groove naturally, giving good input about how the car felt without really putting a foot wrong, so he looks like the real thing.”
Looking ahead and Mercedes’ 2025 line-up
Antonelli’s impressive test performance comes amid speculation about the vacant seat at Mercedes for the 2025 season, following Lewis Hamilton’s announcement that he is to join Ferrari. While it remains to be seen whether Antonelli will be chosen to fill this high-profile vacancy, his early F1 experience and Allison’s backing puts him in a strong position.
Potential teammate George Russell expressed his support for Antonelli, recognising his potential as a Formula One driver.
“I think Kimi is a fantastic driver, obviously he’s in Formula 2 this year, but there’s no doubt he’ll be a Formula 1 driver in the future,” said Russell.
“He’s also a fellow junior driver, [he’s] come through the ranks like I did with the team, so I think it’s a great opportunity for Mercedes to build for the future.”
Antonelli’s current standing in F2
As Antonelli navigates his rookie season in Formula 2, he continues to demonstrate his racing ability.
Currently sixth in the standings after five of the 14 scheduled rounds, Antonelli has scored points in seven of the 10 races. His best finishes include P4 at Melbourne, Imola and Monaco, highlighting his consistency and competitiveness at this level.
Antonelli to step up to Mercedes soon?
If it were up to Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, the Silver Arrows would prefer to bring in the best of the best to succeed Lewis Hamilton when he moves to Ferrari in 2025, namely Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Wolff has made no secret of this in recent weeks.
Recently, there has been speculation that a Verstappen move to Mercedes is becoming more and more realistic, especially as the Red Bull car appears to be losing some of its dominant form.
But what happens if Verstappen stays at Red Bull Racing? Then, alongside Carlos Sainz, who is also being considered, youngster Andrea Kimi Antonelli is increasingly seen as the hottest candidate for Hamilton’s cockpit. The 17-year-old from the Mercedes talent factory is already showing what he can do at such a young age, skipping Formula 3 at the start of the year to compete in Formula 2.
Rumours of shock result of Antonelli test: Mercedes responds
Recently, Italian media even reported that Antonelli had overtaken Silver Arrow regular George Russell in a 2022 car during internal testing at Silverstone.
At the beginning of May, the Italian teenager was significantly faster than reserve driver Mick Schumacher and, above all, Russell in the same conditions – low fuel, soft tyres. But is that really true? No, say Mercedes.
“Before the weekend begins, we would like to announce that our next TPC (Testing of Previous Car) will take place next week in Barcelona with Mick [Schumacher] and Kimi [Antonelli] driving the 2022 W13,” motorsportweek.com quotes a statement from the F1 team.
“As these are private tests, there has understandably been a lot of speculation about their purpose and content,” Mercedes officials said, referring to the speculation of recent days and weeks, explaining: “Mick, Kimi and George [Russell] took part in our last TPC test at Silverstone. It was wrongly described as a ‘shoot-out’, which was neither the intention nor the result of the runs.”
Antonelli did a great job, but …
Mercedes dismissed rumours of a direct comparison, saying that each driver completed different programmes on different days in different track and weather conditions.
“Unfortunately, unchecked speculation has led to conclusions and comparisons being published which do not correspond to the facts,” said the Silver Arrows, dismissing Antonelli’s alleged superiority as a myth.
Schumacher and Antonelli did an “excellent job” and everyone was very happy. They are now looking forward to the next few days of testing in Barcelona.
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
