Waiting for Antonelli's Breakthrough Performance in F2

Rarely happens that a junior driver of an F1 team is surrounded by such a media noise like the Mercedes protégé, Andrea Kimi Antonelli. At the beginning of May Williams requested for a dispensation from the FIA, so the Bolognese teenager could race in F1 earlier than the current minimum age allows (Antonelli will be eligible at the end of August when he turns 18). The Italian also had impressed Mercedes during his test in F1 car and, during the last weekend at Imola, Lewis Hamilton backed the youngster to replace him in 2025.

Antonelli already has built an impressive resume, winning the titles in karting, Italian F4 and Middle Eastern and European editions of Formula Regional. This year he skipped F3 and jumped straight to F2, where he competes for Prema alongside the Ferrari junior, Oliver Bearman.

Skeptics could say that the jump was too big and the Italian hasn’t shown anything in the four opening rounds that would justify the hype around him. Certainly Antonelli hasn’t had a headline grabbing performance, but he’s been lowkey solid, scoring points in every weekend. Speaking about points, he leads his more experienced teammate 25-6 in the races they both participated in. So every race bar the two in Saudi Arabia, where Bearman made his F1 debut, replacing Carlos Sainz who had been hospitalized with appendicitis.

Of course six races is a rather small sample size and there are twenty to go, so it’s far too early to jump into conclusions, but it’s a good start. Especially given that Antonelli hasn’t had the greatest of starts last year in both aforementioned Formula Regional series.

The Italian had consistently scored points at the beginning of the Formula Regional Middle East, but it wasn’t until the seventh race when he took his first win in Kuwait. In the very next one, at the same venue, the youngster showed why he’s considered to be the next generational talent. Once he won, he basically took control of the championship and won.

A similar pattern could be observed in FRECA, with Antonelli consistently scoring without eye catching performances. Actually at the beginning of the championship his title rival, Martinius Stenshorne, was more impressive. Such was the case until the Italian won in the wet at Spa Francorchamps – the race that has been overshadowed by the tragic death of Dilano van ’t Hoof.

A couple of rounds later at Zandvoort, Antonelli scored probably the most dominant win in feeder series in 2023. In mixed conditions he overtook his competitors like they were driving sports cars and he was sitting behind the wheel of a prototype and then disappeared.

In the aforementioned championships he won last year, he had competed against drivers of roughly the same age, with a similar experience in single seaters. And before he won a race in each series, he had been scoring podiums – something he’s yet to do in F2. Age and experience may partially explain why.

Now the Italian faces older competitors who have been longer in the motorsport than him. So it’s reasonable to expect it will take him more time to adjust. And, of course, it’s not a given that he’ll take F2 by storm once he fully adapts.

Skeptics could say that skipping F3 was a mistake. It’s too early and there’s too much pressure put on young shoulders. I disagree. Pressure is part and parcel of being a competitor. And a generational talent like Antonelli has to deal with higher expectations than any other of his F2 rivals.

And I also don’t think it’s too early for him, even if the Italian’s performance will stay at the current, modest level. Growing pains and struggle are something every competitor has to face at some point. And it’s usually a character building experience.

It would be beneficial for Antonelli if he had such an experience before he joins Formula 1.