As the driver market comes into play for the 2025 season, there are a few rookies looking to make their way in the sport. Among these rookies is Mercedes junior driver, Kimi Antonelli. The young Italian is currently driving for Prema Racing in Formula 2. Although he is not yet a Championship contender, he has shown some impressive performances in the past few races where he showed real promise.
For the past few weeks, Antonelli was one of the drivers who was rumoured to be the next driver for Mercedes or Williams Racing. Some even say that he will replace Logan Sargeant as soon as the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this season. But there is one question here; is Kimi Antonelli qualified to become an F1 driver this year?
Is Kimi Antonelli qualified to race in Formula 1?
In order to qualify to race in Formula 1, the driver must be eligible for an FIA super license. This can be acquired by gaining Superllicense points, in addition to a few more eligibility criteria.
In regards to super license points, Antonelli has already acquired 67 points. This is more than what is required, which is only 40 points. Antonelli gained his points by winning two Formula Regional Championships last year and two Formula 4 Championships in 2022.
However, there is one more requirement that could block Antonelli’s entry for a while in Formula 1. In order to acquire the super license, Antonelli will have to be at least 18 years old. The Italian driver is only 17 years old at the moment. Although he has accomplished a lot in F1 and will be eager to reach F1, he might have to wait until he turns 18. But the good news is, he might not have to wait for too long.
🚨 | Joe Saward in his ‘Green Notebook’:
“Mercedes is currently assessing whether it’s a good idea to put its prodigy Andrea Kimi Antonelli into Lewis Hamilton’s seat in 2025.
“The 17-year-old Italian recently spent two days testing a 2021 Mercedes W12 in Austria and a string… pic.twitter.com/XGxJCO81bW
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) April 25, 2024
Kimi Antonelli will turn 18 years old on 25th August this year. As it falls on the date of the Dutch Grand Prix, we could see Antonelli drive in F1 during the next race in Monza. This also happens to be his home race.
However, Mercedes are in talks with the FIA to get permission to have Antonelli drive for Williams as soon as the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola. If the FIA approves this, he will only be the 2nd youngest driver to have a permanent seat in F1. The youngest to do it was Max Verstappen who also did at 17 years old in 2015. At the time, there was no age restriction implemented by the FIA.
But will we see Kimi Antonelli race in F1 this year? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.
Rohit Kumar 
Sara Chavan