Kimi Antonelli seen as the ‘real deal’ by Mercedes’ Technical Director

Kimi Antonelli has been praised by Mercedes Technical Director James Allison as the “real deal” following a run of F1 tests with the team.

Antonelli has been on a rapid rise in motorsport over the last few years. The now 17-year-old won Italian Formula 4 and the ADAC F4 championship back in 2022.

In 2023, the Italian driver won two more titles including the Formula Regional European Championship and the Formula Regional Middle East Championship.

It was announced late last year that Antonelli would skip Formula 3 to race in Formula 2 for PREMA in 2024. Antonelli has also been a part of the Mercedes driver programme since 2019.

His rapid growth in the sport has caught the eye of many including Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff. Moreover, with Lewis Hamilton departing the Silver Arrows at the end of the season, this could give Antonelli the opportunity to jump up to Formula 1 and take on of the most coveted seats.

Antonelli was given the chance a couple of weeks ago to get behind the wheel of an F1 car for the first time as he took the W13 for a spin around Imola during a test day.

High praise from Allison for Antonelli

Speaking to formula1.com, Mercedes Technical Director James Allison spoke about how impressive Antonelli was during the test, as he considers the 17-year-old the “real deal.”

“He’s certainly impressed everyone with the sessions he’s run so far,” Allison commented. “He’d never been in an F1 car, but he looked like he had within a lap or two.”

“It’s a cliché, but he’s fast, he’s consistent, didn’t make any mistakes. Young people can be trying to impress so much that they will spin off, or the opposite, they’re so terrified of spinning off that they don’t really show what they can do.”

“Kimi seemed to just naturally slip into the right groove on that, giving decent input about how the car felt, while not really putting a foot wrong, so he looks like the real deal.”

After five rounds in F2, Antonelli currently sits in sixth the championship. If he can continue this form for the rest of the season, could he find himself driving in Mercedes colours next season? Only time will tell.

Feature Image Credit: (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)