Antonelli drives his first F1 metres with Mercedes in test at Red Bull Ring

The big day has arrived for Andrea Kimi Antonelli: on Tuesday he will drive his first meters in the W12, the Formula 1 car with which Mercedes won the 2021 constructors' title. The 17-year-old Italian will be in action for two days at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.

While rumours surrounding possible contract talks with Carlos Sainz are growing, Mercedes have all but tied up its knot over who should succeed Lewis Hamilton when the seven-time world champion leaves for Ferrari after this year. Antonelli is among the contenders for the seat alongside George Russell and may first show what he is capable of in the 2021 W12, before taking a seat in the team's 2022 car later this season.

The impressive F1 debut of Oliver Bearman, who managed to score good points immediately despite a setback in qualifying when he got into Sainz's Ferrari at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, will play a part in considering possibly giving Antonelli a permanent seat as early as next year, according to Wolff. "So Kimi will do fine," the Mercedes team principal said looking ahead to Antonelli's first F1 test.

Not only during his F1 tests, Antonelli's performance will also be closely watched by Toto Wolff's team over the course of the Formula 2 season. The young talent made his F2 debut earlier this year, having skipped Formula 3. After the first three race weekends, Antonelli is ninth in the standings, with as many points as number eight, former Red Bull Racing junior Jak Crawford.