From F4 to a Mercedes seat in three years: Antonelli took this result

The fact that Mercedes protégé Antonelli is already being given the chance by the German formation has everything to do with the unexpected departure of Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion announced earlier this year that he was leaving for Ferrari, and so Toto Wolff was suddenly faced with a big task. Finding someone to fill Hamilton's big shoes.

Max Verstappen was mentioned, but the Dutchman still has an ongoing contract at Red Bull Racing. Mercedes repeatedly showed interest, but the interest was not mutual (yet). In the summer break, Wolff then decided to move on: Antonelli should become Hamilton's successor. Is it a lack of alternatives or does Antonelli really have what it takes to succeed at the highest level? Probably a bit of both.

Fast rise

Antonelli is fast and he has proved that over the years. He started karting at the age of seven and captured no less than 13 (international) titles in seven years. He appeared on Mercedes' radar and signed a contract with the Brackley-based formation's junior programme there in 2019. Antonelli continued to win, as he became the European karting champion in 2020 and 2021. In 2021, he also made his debut in Italian F4 as a 15-year-old. He finished 10th in the championship.

A year later, his main events were (again) Italian F4 and German F4. He won both championships with supremacy, and at Mercedes, they knew they had gold in their hands. Despite the successes, the perhaps 'logical' Formula 3 route was not chosen. Antonelli went on to race in Formula Regional in both Europe and the Middle East in 2023. Even there, no one could match his class.

F2 campaign

For Mercedes, it was a reason to immediately link him with Prema in Formula 2. There, the Italian had a seemingly shaky season. Prema - a former top team in the step-up class - is struggling this year and Antonelli and Oliver Bearman [racing next year in Formula 1 for Haas F1] initially achieved little appealing results.

Only at Silverstone - the eighth weekend of this year - was Antonelli on the podium for the first time. He won the sprint race at Silverstone and then the feature race in Hungary one week later. Meanwhile, Antonelli had a taste for racing and worked several tests with old Mercedes cars. In those tests, he impressed Wolff and Mercedes which thus eventually led to a commitment as George Russell's teammate in the W16.

Antonelli is currently number seven among drivers in the Formula 2 standings, but he won't lie awake for long now that he has signed an F1 contract with Mercedes. Prema are in a disappointing seventh place in the championship, but will deliver two drivers for the premier class next year.

This article has been written in collaboration with Matt Gretton