Toto Wolff has decided to give Andrea Kimi Antonelli a big challenge next year. The young driver, just 18, is stepping into the role once held by Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. Helmut Marko has noticed Antonelli’s raw speed but believes he still needs to prove himself in racing.
Antonelli has been busy testing older Mercedes cars recently. He even got his first taste of an official Formula 1 session during practice at Monza. Although he showed speed, he lost control and crashed at the famous Parabolica corner.
Marko’s Thoughts on Antonelli
Red Bull’s advisor, Marko, has been impressed by Antonelli’s speed. “I was impressed by his speed,” he mentioned to Formel1.de. However, comparing him to Max Verstappen isn’t fair. “Max is Max. He [Antonelli] has to prove that first.” Fans might wonder if Antonelli will rise to the challenge like Max did.
Things are moving quickly for Antonelli; he skipped Formula 3 and is now doing well in Formula 2. When asked if Antonelli was considered by Red Bull, Marko replied, “Of course, but you can’t have them all.” Red Bull has nurtured many talents like Verstappen and Vettel.
Currently, Red Bull has several juniors in Formula 2. Isack Hadjar is now their reserve driver since Liam Lawson took over from Daniel Ricciardo at VCARB. Hadjar holds second place behind McLaren Junior Gabriel Bortoleto. Meanwhile, Pepe Martà races for Campos and ranks 16th. In Formula 3 this season, Oliver Goethe, Arvid Lindblad, and Tim Tramnitz represented Red Bull with their iconic colors.
What do you think about these young drivers?
