Andrea Kimi Antonelli has a party trick. Name any race weekend he has driven in and he can respond with his qualifying lap time down to a tenth of a second.
When you consider he has driven in more than 30 qualifying sessions at more than 20 circuits in the past two years alone, that’s a lot to remember. Before speaking to Antonelli about his path to Formula 1, ESPN had to put him to the test.
“What was your qualifying time in Imola, Formula 2 this year?”
“A 1:27.3,” he says confidently. Correct.
“Budapest, F2?”
“1:30.3.” Bang on.
“How about two years ago in the Formula Regional European Championship. Let’s try Q1 at Mugello?
“It was a 1:42.4 and Q2 was 1:42.6.” Correct again.
“Lap time is so important for me,” Antonelli explained. “You always want to get the fast lap times and they kind of get stuck into my head without even doing it on purpose.”
As remarkable as this next-level memory game is, it’s the performances behind those lap times that have convinced Mercedes to choose Antonelli as Lewis Hamilton‘s replacement for next year.
The move will thrust the 18-year-old onto the biggest stage in motorsport, potentially presenting him with a car capable of winning in his first year in F1. Not since Hamilton made his debut with McLaren in 2007 — albeit at the age of 22 — has a team shown such confidence in the raw talent of a rookie.
Team boss Toto Wolff said he made the decision to promote Antonelli from Mercedes’ junior team within five minutes of learning Hamilton was leaving for Ferrari, describing the choice to pair him with George Russell as “instinctive.” This was not a knee-jerk reaction to losing the biggest name in motorsport, though. This was the realisation of a plan that was more than seven years in the making.
This is the coming-of-age of a driver earmarked for F1 since he was a boy.
Inspired by Senna
Born in Bologna to parents Elisabetta and Marco Antonelli, “Kimi,” as he prefers to be called, has been surrounded by motorsport for as long as he can remember. He insists his adopted name is not an homage to former Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen, who became Formula 1 world champion one year after Antonelli’s birth, but instead the suggestion of a family friend who…
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