New Williams deal could offer ‘impressive’ Mercedes 17-year-old perfect F1 opportunity in 2025

Follow us on Google Discover

Williams are set to benefit from using Mercedes power units until 2030 and that could lead to an exciting opportunity for youngster Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

James Vowles’s team will continue their partnership with Mercedes which was due to expire in 2026 in a move that legendary driver Damon Hill has praised.

Speaking to Williams’s official site, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said: “We are delighted to confirm Williams Racing as the second customer team that we will supply for the 2026 power unit regulations.

“Since 2014, we have continued to build and develop our relationship with Williams. As the team continues to put the foundations in place to challenge at the front of the grid, we look forward to supporting them with our power unit supply.”

Aside from the Mercedes works outfit, the team also provide power units to McLaren and Aston Martin heading into the 2024 campaign.

While Williams will hope they can compete with Mercedes sooner rather than later, they might be able to strengthen their partnership further by signing Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Described by Mercedes communication director Bradley Lord as ‘pretty impressive’, the 17-year-old has risen through the ranks at a rate of knots.

Known as Kimi Antonelli, the teenager will compete in Formula 2 with experienced team Prema after skipping the F3 series altogether.

With a big shake-up in the grid expected next year, the young Italian could have timed his ascent perfectly to become one of the youngest drivers in F1 history.

Williams and Mercedes partnership may benefit Antonelli

There are several reasons why Antonelli could end up in a Williams very soon.

Firstly, this sort of move has happened before, with George Russell honing his craft after winning the F2 title with Williams while part of the Mercedes set-up.

He briefly returned for a race in Bahrain when Lewis Hamilton was unwell and would have won the Grand Prix had several factors not conspired against him.

Russell has proven that spending time with Williams before switching back to Mercedes is very beneficial and Antonelli could follow the same path.

There are also doubts about the futures of both of Williams’s current drivers.

Both of their contracts expire at the end of this season and they could move on for different reasons.

Alex Albon is expected to be at the centre of his year’s driver market and has no intention currently of extending his deal.

His teammate Logan Sargeant was only confirmed as a driver for 2024 after the finale in Abu Dhabi and looks in real danger of being moved on unless he improves drastically.

Williams have an academy of their own and the likes of Zak O’Sullivan and Franco Colapinto will hope they’re offered the chance of a promotion if either Albon or Sargeant leave.

It appears as though Antonelli has a real chance of reaching Formula 1 very soon.

It’s now up to him to prove himself in Formula 2 against some of the best young talent in the world.