Kimi Antonelli’s move to Mercedes for 2025 has been confirmed, but the Italian racing prodigy was on the radar of other teams on the paddock too, including Red Bull, as revealed by Chief Advisor Helmut Marko.
Marko, who has a good eye for talent, said, “The speed impressed me.” Suggesting a reason why they didn’t end up signing Antonelli, the Austrian replied, “You can’t have all of them.”
Marko has been the main architect of Red Bull’s junior program since its inception in 2005. He scouted talents like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, who later became World Champions with the Milton-Keynes-based outfit.
Was Antonelli on Marko’s radar? “Of course, but you can’t have all of them,” he said.
“I was impressed by his speed.”
Comparing the Italian with Verstappen would not be fair, according to the Austrian. “Max is Max. He (Antonelli) has to prove it first.” pic.twitter.com/96p7zRb92h
— Kimi Antonelli Updates (@AndreaKimiNews) October 5, 2024
Verstappen in particular, entered F1 at a very young age — 17. This led to comparisons between Antonelli and the Dutchman, with the latter also being linked at the same age. Because of his talent too, many drew parallels between his and Verstappen’s careers, already.
Marko, however, refused to point out similarities. He is content with Red Bull not signing Antonelli, insisting that signing ‘prodigies’ could be a risk for any team. Antonelli would have to justify his talent first. “Max is Max. He has to prove that…”
“Risky” move by Mercedes to sign Antonelli, suggested Marko
Antonelli was so impressive in F4 last season that he got a direct jump to F2 in 2024. Midway into the campaign, 56.5 points and five places off P1 in the Championship standings, he already has a seat in F1 for 2025. Antonelli’s rise to the top has been meteoric.
Marko, however, feels that an inexperienced driver like Antonelli being a part of Mercedes is not a good idea. He labeled it as risky. “There are drivers who lose motivation, a girlfriend comes along or he loses touch with reality. It’s all happened before.”
He suggested that the Mercedes prodigy now has to get results to prove that the German team made the right choice by choosing him.
