‘I texted’… Karun Chandhok shares the ‘sensational’ driver he has already told Williams’ James Vowles about

Follow us on Google Discover

Sky Sports Formula One pundit Karun Chandhok has now shared which driver he has already texted Williams team principal James Vowles about.

He told ‘The Fast and the Curious’ that he had to inform the 44-year-old that he had witnessed a sensational practice session from F2 driver Kimi Antonelli.

A lot of talk in Formula One right now has already shifted to who will fill the seat vacated by Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025.

The veteran driver will be on the way to Ferrari, leaving plenty wondering which direction the German constructor will go down.

Vowles will certainly be one of those already weighing up a number of options if he is to lose either of his drivers to the spot, however he may have just got a timely reminder of one youngster he knows well by Chandhok.

The pundit said: “There’s an Italian driver – Kimi Antonelli. Funny story, I was up at Silverstone and popped in and Kimi Antonelli was testing in a Formula 3 car, just getting warmed up for his F2 season. He was alongside two other drivers, and it was raining. He was something like seven or eight seconds a lap faster than the other drivers.

“I went back and chatted with some of the engineers, and they just could not believe how good he was. He’s 17. He’s a teenager. Honestly, I parked up on the way out and watched a few laps. This kid was sensational. I texted James Vowles from there, because James sort of mentored Kimi since go karts.

Chandhok on Antonelli

“I went: ‘This kid is amazing’ and he said ‘Yeah, I’ve been telling you for years.’ It’s exciting. Listen, junior Formula success doesn’t always translate to Formula One, but there have been three people I’ve spoken to in this last week who have worked with Kimi and all said the same sentence: ‘He’s the best kid in junior Formula since Max Verstappen.’

“I see Antonelli at Williams next year.”

Moving to Williams would certainly be a step in the right direction for Antonelli towards eventually ending up as a Mercedes driver.

This is of course due to the close relations between the teams, and the fact George Russell has already walked the exact same path.