Written by Olivia Eyeson, Edited by Sameena Khan
Throughout this series, we will highlight the driving talent we could see in Formula 1 in the future every week.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli is a 16-year-old Italian driver competing in Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine next season with Prema. He has been a member of the Mercedes junior programme since April 2019 and is arguably one of their brightest prospects.
Toto Wolff commented that “We will watch Andrea Kimi Antonelli rise to Formula 1 and win races,” displaying the Mercedes team's confidence in his performances.
Most recently, the 16-year-old clinched the 2022 Italian F4 and ADAC F4 championships for Prema Racing by winning 9 out of the 15 races in the year of his single-seater debut. In the same year, he also won the FIA Motorsport Games Formula 4 Cup for Italy despite having a wrist injury, displaying his undeniable talent.
Before those seasons began, he competed in the F4 UAE championship, where despite missing over half of the season, he achieved an eighth-place finish, including three race wins.
Before his single-seater debut, he had success in karting, which he began at age seven. His accolades include winning the Easykart International Grand Final, the WSK Champions Cup and the WSK Super Master Series.
Currently, he is competing in the Formula Regional Middle Eastern Championship with the Mumbai Falcons, where he is at the standings with three race wins and three further podiums. Despite the feat already being impressive, Antonelli is ahead of drivers competing in Formula 2 and Formula 3 this coming season, including the likes of Jak Crawford and Sebastian Montoya, showing his speed despite his age.
He is an obvious talent, and I think we could see him in Formula 1 as soon as 2026. As others have previously said, he is a future F1 World Champion.
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