Mercedes hatch plan for ‘next Lewis Hamilton’ as Toto Wolff submits FIA request | F1 | Sport
The young Italian is currently racing in Formula Two but has been tipped for big things as a result of his stellar junior career. He has been part of Mercedes‘ driver academy since 2019 after his karting performances caught the eye of Wolff, who moved quickly to snap him up.
Antonelli is widely thought to be Mercedes‘ top choice to replace Hamilton when the Brit leaves to join Ferrari at the end of the season. However, there is seemingly a chance that he could drive in F1 before then if Logan Sargeant is sacked by Williams.
Sargeant has struggled to justify his place on the grid since he was picked up by Williams last year, with Alex Albon outperforming him at nearly every race. The American hit a new low at the Australian Grand Prix when he was forced to sit out, with Albon using his team-mate’s car after wrecking his own in practice.
According to Motorsport.com, there is a chance that Antonelli could step in at Williams if Sargeant is relieved of his duties in the middle of the season. It could see the 17-year-old make his F1 debut as early as the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, which is set to take place later this month.
Wolff has reportedly lodged a request with the FIA about granting an exemption to allow Antonelli to race. The teenager has already taken part in a behind-closed-doors test for Mercedes and is expected to be given more sessions before the end of this year.
Last month, he took in two days of running at the Red Bull Ring as he got his first taste of F1 action in the Mercedes W12. He ran into some issues on the first day, with snowfall preventing him from completing as many laps as he would have liked, but things went better on day two.
If Antonelli joins the grid, he will become the third youngest driver in the history of the sport behind only Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll. Ferrari academy star Oliver Bearman currently holds that place in the record books after filling in for Carlos Sainz at last month’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.