P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mercedes Junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli is one of the hottest single-seater prospects outside of Formula 1, but Toto Wolff says
At the age of 17, Antonelli is entering his rookie Formula 2 season after skipping Formula 3 and will be partnering with Oliver Bearman at PREMA. He has an impressive record so far, with numerous karting titles and championship wins in all of his debut single-seater seasons. In 2022, he won both the German and Italian Formula 4 Championships and followed it up with championship success in the Middle East and European Formula Regional series in 2023. There is a lot of hype surrounding Antonelli, with some even calling him the long-term replacement for Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. However, moving up to F2 is a big step due to the heavier and more powerful cars. Antonelli joins a group of rookies, including Zak O’Sullivan, Ritomo Miyata, Gabriel Bortoleto, and others, who will be competing in their first season of Formula 2. Pre-season testing will take place in Bahrain before the first race at Bahrain’s Sakhir circuit in late February.
