Kimi Antonelli he is continuing his approach with an F1 car. The 2006 class driver, after testing the Mercedes W12 at the Red Bull Ring, is testing the car in Imola for a two-day test. And from what has emerged, the Italian would be doing well with the 2022 car from the German company. Kimi Antonelli’s debut in F1 seems to be really approaching.
Rumors speak of a possible landing in Williams already this year in place of Sargeant for the Bolognese. It is clear that for Antonelli the Grove team would be ideal for making his debut in F1, thus accumulating experience and being able to grow without any kind of pressure.
Already in the past, Mercedes has used Williams (being a satellite team of the Stuttgart company) to develop their drivers. Like with George Russell for example. The Englishman raced for Williams for three years before being signed by Toto Wolff at Mercedes.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli spoke on the topic Gian Carlo Minardi to the Pit-Talk microphones. The President of Formula Imola spoke of an impressive test from Antonelli. Among other things, the Prema F2 driver will also ride today in Imola with the W12.
“I must say that I witnessed Kimi Antonelli’s test today (yesterday) amidst a hundred thousand problems and work on his tests. It was an exciting test, he is very good, I think and hope that we will soon see him in F1. He is an Italian pilot who comes from all the processes that the ACI federal school has done in all these years winning everything in the minor formulas. I believe from what I saw today, but I had no doubts, he deserves F1.”
“He did over 100 laps which means more than a GP weekend. It was consistent and very fast with runs of 12 laps each, so he started with a lot of fuel, constant over the 12 laps and always improving, getting closer to the times that this car did over the weekend two years ago. So the premises are all positive, then never put the cart before the horse, so let’s see, let’s see, tomorrow (today) is another day. Unfortunately I am busy in Rome at an ACI meeting so I cannot follow him closely, however I will be informed.”
Then Minardi himself also added the fact that before making a young driver’s debut in F1 there are some dynamics to respect let’s say:
“I believe that those who do this job know what they have in their hands, and therefore at this moment I believe that Kimi Antonelli has every opportunity, the possibilities of having a career ahead of you while still being very young. But as a team manager that’s what my DNA is, it’s history. I have always favored young people and therefore as such I believe that others do too. Even with Russell they brought him to Williams first, they brought him up to replace and put him next to Hamilton. In my opinion they are doing an excellent job with young people. It is clear that at this moment with Antonelli it is an even more advanced step and more, in quotes, risky. But based on what I have always seen confirmed in him, today I believe there are no problems.”
Then according to Minardi it is difficult to talk about timing on Antonelli’s possible debut in F1:
“Unfortunately, time takes away the timing and assumptions. The facts are what count, and the facts are connected to many other things that are happening in F1 at the moment, which maybe two months ago we didn’t believe, we didn’t know about. You see the Red Bull problems, you see Hamilton who went to Ferrari, you see a Verstappen who at the moment doesn’t understand what he’s doing, or an Adrian Newey who abandons Red Bull after 15 years.”
Alberto Murador
