Massive F1 door opens for Antonelli
The hopes of Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli of making his Formula 1 debut in 2024 have received a massive boost thanks to an FIA rule change.
The FIA has reduced the minimum age restriction to race at the pinnacle of motorsport of 17 years of age under special dispensation.
Antonelli is currently 17 and will turn 18 on August 25, but the new wording on Appendix L of the FIA International Sporting Code means the Italian can make his FP1 debut before then.
Article 13.1.2 of Appendix L now states: “At the sole discretion of the FIA, a driver judged to have recently and consistently demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity in single-seater formula car competition may be granted a Super Licence at the age of 17 years old.”
The FIA introduced the minimum age requirement after Max Verstappen made his Formula 1 race weekend debut by taking part in FP1 of the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix at 17 years and three days.
Antonelli is a highly rated Mercedes junior and is the frontrunner to replace the vacant seat at the Silver Arrows in 2025 left by the departing Lewis Hamilton, who is ending an 11-year stint and joining Ferrari.
Whilst nothing has been announced and rumours of a potential mid-season switch with Logan Sargeant to race for Williams have been noted, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff indicated Antonelli was the clear favourite to race for the eight-time F1 constructors world champions.
“He (Carlos Sainz) has done a fantastic job but for us, we’ve embarked on a route now, we want to reinvent ourselves a little bit going forward and Kimi Antonelli definitely plays a part in that,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1 in Canada.
“We haven’t taken the decision yet for next year but we didn’t want to have Carlos wait as well, because he needs to take the decisions for himself and that’s just fair.”
Antonelli has been backed by the three pointed star since his karting days and rapidly progressed up the levels with championship titles in Italian F4 and Formula Regional European Championship.
Both of those successes came with Prema and ensured he already has the required number of superlicence points to race in F1.
He has stayed with the Prema team for the big step up to FIA Formula 2 in 2024.
At the second tier Antonelli has secured seven points finishes with a best result of fourth achieved three times at Albert Park, Imola and Monaco.
Antonello sits sixth in the championship, 32 points behind leader Paul Aron.
Photo by Andy Hone / LAT Images
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