No Formula 3 for Kimi Antonelli in a 2024. The Italian talent will move directly from Formula Regional to Formula 2 with Prema. To spread the rumor, then confirmed by Motorsport.com Italy, it was the Italiaracing site, right on the weekend of the Italian GP in which the Mercedes (of whose academy Antonelli is one of the most prized pieces) has confirmed its starting pair until 2025.
What, then, comes from the decision by the Mercedes Junior Team to let its protégé skip Formula 3? Also in Monza, the new Formula 2 car which will be used starting from 2024. In this way, everyone will have to start from scratch and understand the new single-seater. In this way, Kimi will be at the same level as his colleagues, while a year of Formula 3 would have caused him a year's delay in understanding the Formula 2 car.
Kimi Antonelli: his journey so far
Born in Bologna on 25 August 2006, Antonelli starts running in Go kart a 7 years, coming signed by the Mercedes academy in 2019 and grinding out successes until 2021, the year in which he switched to single-seaters. In September two years ago, Kimi debuted in Italian Formula 4 at the Red Bull Ring with Prema.
Despite competing in only three weekends out of seven, the fifteen-year-old managed to finish tenth in the standings, only 6 points behind full-time Prema driver Conrad Laursen. In 2022 he wins the championship, again with Prema, achieving 13 victories.
The same year he also took part in the championship Formula 4 of the United Arab Emirates, finishing eighth despite participating in less than half of the season, and the championship ADAC Formula 4, won with one game to spare and 9 total successes.
The jump from Formula Regional to Formula 2 won't be a walk in the park, but Kimi has already shown he has one extraordinary ability to adapt and an uncommon talent. In not too distant times, another driver moved from Formula 3 (different from today's) to Formula 1.
Maybe you've already heard: his first name is Max and his last name is Verstappen. As always, you have to go easy on the comparisons. Mercedes, however, is always cautious in managing its young players and would never make such a rash choice without good motivation. For Italy there is growing hope of finding an Italian driver on the grid.
