17-year-old Mercedes driver has already ‘exceeded’ targets as he accelerates towards F1

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Mercedes staff have been seriously impressed with young driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli who has exceeded many of his targets this year.

Stephane Guerin, track operations for the Mercedes academy, has been speaking to the Feeder Series about the teenager.

Mercedes have locked in their driver line-up for the next two seasons already.

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell both signed new contracts this year that will see them stay at the team until 2025.

Hamilton was linked with Ferrari earlier in the year but will now be with the team until he’s 40.

This means that Mercedes have no immediate need for a new driver, but their young talents have a medium-term goal to aim for.

Currently, Frederik Vesti appears to be the next in line to drive for the team unless they look towards test driver Mick Schumacher.

Vesti took part in Free Practice 1 in Mexico and still has an outside chance of winning Formula 2 this year.

He looks set to be joined in F2 by fellow Mercedes youngster Andrea Kimi Antonelli in 2024 who keeps pushing past the targets being set for him in lower formulas.

The Italian has won 36 of the 81 races he’s taken part in since the start of last year and achieved 53 podiums.

He’s undoubtedly a huge talent but is about to make a massive step up to the level before F1.

Antonelli keeps exceeding Mercedes’s targets

Speaking about the 17-year-old, Guerin said: “The decision has been considered for several months already.

“There had been several objectives, several targets for Kimi [Antonelli] at the start of the year, and he has reached or exceeded them…It was not a decision that we took impulsively.

“We have been thinking of this for some time because, at the end of the day, our objective is to develop Kimi and to help him in fulfilling his potential.

“He will not teach other drivers how to drive! The objective for Kimi will be to learn as much as possible, as quickly as possible.”

Antonelli is unlikely to be set the same targets as fellow Mercedes youngster Vesti in 2024.

The Dane has to be aiming to win the title if he doesn’t leapfrog Theo Pourchaire during the final weekend of action in Abu Dhabi.

Meanwhile, Antonelli will be using his first year at this level to adapt to quicker cars and much more attention on his career which is blossoming at a rapid rate.