What Kimi Antonelli did at Spa that ‘really impressed’ Williams boss James Vowles

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Williams have confirmed that Carlos Sainz will be driving alongside Alex Albon next season as the 2025 Formula 1 grid becomes one seat closer to being completed.

There was plenty of speculation about where Carlos Sainz would end up given the three-time race winner was the strongest free agent available for next year.

It’s an impressive coup for Williams and provides a strong indication of another move that’s set to take place next year.

Mercedes still have a seat available for 2025 with Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari getting closer and closer.

George Russell is already confirmed for next season and is in fine form having crossed the line first at the Belgian Grand Prix before having victory snatched away from him due to having an underweight car.

All signs point to Russell becoming the lead driver at Mercedes next year when Hamilton moves on, allowing team principal Toto Wolff to promote an up-and-coming star if he wants to.

Nothing is set in stone yet but it appears as though Kimi Antonelli will be the driver brought in to replace Hamilton with Mercedes unlikely to be able to convince Max Verstappen to leave Red Bull.

Antonelli skipped Formula 3 this year to drive in Formula 2 and after a slow start with PREMA is finally starting to find his feet.

Speaking on The Race Podcast, journalists Scott Mitchell-Malm and Samarth Kanal were speaking about one moment Antonelli produced at Spa that left team bosses very impressed.

None more so than Williams team principal James Vowles who had he not just signed Carlos Sainz may have been looking even more closely at the 17-year-old as a potential replacement for Logan Sargeant.

Instead, he’ll have to admire the Italian from afar next season whether he’s racing in F1 as expected or elsewhere.

READ MORE: Who is Mercedes academy driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli? Everything to know

Kimi Antonelli pulled off moment of overtaking brilliance during Formula 2 race at Spa

Reflecting on Antonelli’s performance in the F2 Sprint Race which was cut short by torrential rain, Mitchell-Malm said: “He had an absolutely mega pass in the wet sprint.

“It was so good. It wasn’t just brave, it was so well judged, we were watching through it, he doesn’t overdo it on entry, he’s constantly correcting the car, dancing it up Eau Rouge, over Raidillon.

“It was exquisitely judged and it was more than just youthful and experience exuberance. He was pushing to get past. It really impressed James Vowles at Williams as well.”

Kanal added: “I was going to say it was so good that it actually impressed other F2 team principals and engineers and they said it was the highlight of that very, very short race on Saturday.”

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Mercedes AMG F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Vowles was talking about Antonelli’s overtake by Formu1a.uno and admitted that he was stunned by what he saw.

He said: “He went up the inside, and he didn’t lift. And for all of you that have at least been in a racing car, you know how tough that move was.

“That in the wet is not just brave, that takes a hell of a lot of skill. And he had snaps at the top of Eau Rouge. That’s impressive.”

Martin Brundle makes Kimi Antonelli prediction for next season

Although Antonelli hasn’t dominated Formula 2 in his maiden season like Oscar Piastri or Charles Leclerc have done before him, there have been mitigating factors hampering his progression.

Formula 2 introduced new cars to the series this year and PREMA took some time to work out the best way to extract performance out of them.

However, Antonelli has outperformed F1-bound Oliver Bearman throughout the year and out-qualified the Brit again at Spa.

Martin Brundle sees Antonelli at Mercedes next year and with Sainz off the table, it appears to be a matter of time before that move happens.

Antonelli’s comments after winning in Hungary were compared to Hamilton and although the pressure is on once those two drivers are compared, it sets up the 17-year-old for success.