The future before our eyes
Among the topics of discussion that have been taking center stage in the F1 paddock in recent days there is certainly that which concerns young Italian motorsport hope: Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The Mercedes school talent is competing in his debut season in F2, after making the leap directly from Formula Regional, bypassing the traditional step into Formula 3. Antonelli is now almost unanimously considered the main favorite to occupy the seat that will be vacated at the end of the championship by Lewis Hamilton.
Further hype against the 17-year-old from Bologna was created by the official communication received from the FIA, which granted the current representative of the Prema team the exemption necessary for a potential F1 debut while still under age. The indication is actually generalized and concerns all 17-year-olds, who will have the green light to race in F1 if it is demonstrated that they are deserving and capable of doing so. However, it is difficult not to think that everything was set in motion precisely because of Antonelli’s situation, which at this point he could drive in an FP1 session even before August 25, 2024the day he turns 18.
Wolff is in no hurry
The Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolffspeaking with journalists present in Barcelona, however, avoided putting further pressure on the product of the Mercedes academy, reiterating how from his point of view this exemption changes nothing – at least in the immediate future – for Antonelli’s future: “It doesn’t mean anything – declared the Viennese manager – I think the FIA just took a position, saying that we don’t want to have a hard limit on a particular age because certain young people could be made to debut earlier if their success is exceptional“.
“So, in a way, it wasn’t a question of authorizing Antonelli, but of changing something in the regulation – added the Mercedes team principal – this, however, was previously at the discretion of the president (of the FIA), so it doesn’t make a big difference for us. Kimi is doing F2 and is testing with the old single-seaters. He’s learning, he’s developing, he’s making mistakes. This is the current state of affairs, then there was no particular need to put it on a car [di F1]“.
