In recent years, few drivers have been talked about as F1 prospects even before reaching F2. Max Verstappen is one name that comes to mind — a generational talent who looked destined for greatness as early as his F3 days. Similarly, there is Kimi Antonelli, someone who, perhaps, went a level above Verstappen in that respect.
Antonelli didn’t even compete in F3. While racing in Italian F4, many already believed he was destined for F1 stardom. After spending a year in F2 as a Mercedes junior, his performances at the highest level of motorsport this year have proven those predictions to be spot on.
At just 18 years and 224 days, he became the youngest F1 driver to ever lead a race at the Chinese GP and has secured points in every race except Bahrain, where he finished P11. On top of that, he’s seven points ahead of Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time champ he replaced at Mercedes, in the standings — a clear indication that team principal Toto Wolff made the right call by placing him in the Silver Arrows seat.
Mercedes has a gem on its hands, and the future looks brighter than ever. But why wasn’t Antonelli considered by the Red Bull junior program? A program that has been credited with identifying the right talent far more consistently than Mercedes.
To appreciate the Red Bull academy, let’s look at the current grid and the number of drivers with Red Bull ties: Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon at Williams, Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan at Alpine, the Racing Bulls duo of Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull, and of course, four-time champion Verstappen.
8/20 of the 2025 grid has been part of the Red Bull Junior Academy at some point (plus a 2025 team principal)
byu/beanbagreg informula1
In the past, they’ve also scouted top stars like four-time title winner Sebastian Vettel and proven race winners like Daniel Ricciardo and Mark Webber. So, when the time came to get Antonelli, did Red Bull fumble?
On the Inside Line F1 podcast, former AlphaTauri (now Racing Bulls) team principal and F1 veteran Franz Tost was asked whether Red Bull ever eyed Antonelli, or whether he was always Wolff’s ‘chosen one’. Tost replied, “He was always a Mercedes driver. From karting onwards.”
So, in reality, Red Bull never had the opportunity to approach Antonelli. The fact that the Italian was always a Mercedes man meant that any concrete approach would have been shot down.
Toto Wolff has said teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli “plays a part” in the Silver Arrows’ future #F1 #Formula1
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 17, 2024
What this also means is that Antonelli likely grew up not just idolizing Mercedes as a driver, but as a fan. As a child, he witnessed the team dominate F1, thanks to Hamilton’s six title wins. So, Antonelli would have envisioned himself in that very position, standing where Hamilton stood, celebrating titles. But for now, he’ll have to wait.
Mercedes, after a difficult few years in the ground effect era (which began in 2022), has started to show signs of improvement, but they’re still far from being a championship-level stable. That said, when the time comes, Antonelli could turn out to be one to watch.
Over the years, there have been several comparisons made to Verstappen, and rightly so, with both taking the sport by storm at a very early age. And while Tost didn’t go as far as saying Antonelli will reach Verstappen’s level, he acknowledged that there’s a chance he could become a future GOAT.
However, for that, Tost suggested that Antonelli needs a strong mentality. “It’s a question of strong mentality. Nowadays, in F1, or let me say, generally in F1, there are always two or three really good drivers, and one extremely good driver. The difference is just in the head. Because they can all drive; they have the ability to drive.”
