Andrea Kimi Antonelli is ready to be handed his first FP1 outing with Mercedes on the Italian Grand Prix to ramp up preparations for his potential promotion to its Formulation 1 line-up from 2025.
The Italian, who turns 18 on Sunday, is strongly tipped to be named as alternative for Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes from 2025, and has carried out a sequence of personal exams in W13 and W14 F1 vehicles this 12 months.
In keeping with Motorsport.com Italy, Mercedes is ready to provide Antonelli his first public F1 outing at Monza on 30 August in one among its obligatory FP1 outings for a rookie driver, the place the group can be anticipated to finalise its association to advertise its junior driver into its 2025 driver line-up alongside George Russell.
Prema Formulation 2 driver Antonelli is anticipated to take over Hamilton’s W15 F1 automobile for the session in an effort to be engineered by Peter Bonnington, who lately grew to become acquainted with the teen throughout the Pirelli tyre take a look at instantly after the Belgian GP.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
Bonnington has lately been promoted to Mercedes head of race engineering, a task he’ll dovetail with race engineering duties, and retains him on the group in 2025.
A number of members of the Mercedes engineering group, together with Bonnington, remained at Spa-Francorchamps to observe Antonelli’s progress on the take a look at.
Antonelli has already been fulfilling simulator driver duties at Mercedes alongside his personal testing programme, whereas his FP1 outing shall be his first public F1 look on observe for Mercedes.
Mercedes is but to formally announce its FP1 rookie driver plans for this 12 months and after Monza there are simply two occasions, Mexico and Abu Dhabi, that are both not avenue tracks or run below a dash race format.
In an unique interview with Motorsport.com over the F1 summer time break, Antonelli mentioned he was not taking something with no consideration at Mercedes however was additionally not afraid of being judged on the largest stage.
“Some extent of fear I believe is at all times there, the prospect of not with the ability to carry out I believe frightens everybody,” Antonelli mentioned in regards to the prospect of changing into an F1 rookie. “My method is to see it as an ideal alternative to study, develop and in addition benefit from the second.
“I am not afraid of being judged, I do know Mercedes has a transparent opinion about my potential, already this season in F2 the championship did not kick off in one of the simplest ways however there have been no detrimental ideas.
“I’m fairly calm, if the chance introduced itself to me I might take it with eagerness and attempt to benefit from it.
“Not too long ago there was some stress on me with all of the rumours about subsequent 12 months, however I’ve at all times tried to take pleasure in it. I am having fun with the alternatives I’ve.”
