Mercedes junior driver Antonelli is into account to exchange Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton in a Silver Arrow in 2025, with the workforce utilizing older equipment to totally assess his talents earlier than making a call.
The primary of those checks was performed throughout two days on the Crimson Bull Ring, the place the Italian drove the W12, the automobile that so practically took Hamilton to a record-breaking eighth world title in 2021.
After finishing 500 kilometres throughout the 2 days, Antonelli mentioned: “It’s been an unbelievable expertise, it was actually nice to really feel the facility and downforce.
“I liked each second of it. It was actually good enjoyable and I need to thank all of the workforce for all their arduous work.”
He added: “We did some sim work and ran by way of some essential issues forward of the day.
“That was actually helpful as a result of as soon as I used to be out on monitor, I knew what the workforce was telling me on the radio.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli drives Mercedes W12
Antonelli is presently contesting his maiden Method 2 season, after being fast-tracked into the class off the again of his Method Regional European title success.
The 17-year-old sits ninth within the drivers’ standings after six races, the place his early consistency has seen him register factors on 4 events. Most not too long ago, he completed a season-best fourth within the function race on the Australian Grand Prix weekend.
“I’ve realized quite a bit in these two days, issues which might be actually useful once I return to F2,” he mentioned.
“However I have to hold working, and hold bettering too.”
With Antonelli performing favourably in comparison with his Prema team-mate Oliver Bearman, a driver who impressed when making his F1 debut for Ferrari in Saudi Arabia, Mercedes workforce principal Toto Wolff has remarked “Kimi could be doing simply positive”, ought to he make the step up.
And conceding that Mercedes is in a rebuilding section the place it isn’t difficult for world titles, the Austrian mentioned: “You must acknowledge that now three years into these rules, we have now acquired to do issues in another way than we have executed previously with out throwing overboard what we consider is goodness in the way in which we function.
“It might imply placing a younger driver in there and giving him a possibility with much less stress than preventing for victories instantly, or placing a extra skilled driver within the automobile that may assist us dig ourselves out of the present efficiency image.”
Antonelli will return to F2 motion at Imola between 17-20 Might.