When Kimi Antonelli is expected to make his first ‘public outing’ in a Mercedes F1 car

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It appears to be a matter of time before Mercedes confirm that young Formula 2 star Kimi Antonelli will drive for the team next season.

Lewis Hamilton’s decision to join Ferrari caught the world of Formula 1 completely off guard and has set off a chain reaction of events in the driver’s market few would have predicted.

George Russell’s future at Mercedes was already assured until the end of 2025, leaving Toto Wolff with a decision to make.

After months of chasing Max Verstappen, it appears as though Kimi Antonelli will be handed the chance to step up at Mercedes and replace the most successful driver in the history of F1.

Mercedes spent months protecting Antonelli, limiting his exposure to the media given the amount of pressure that’ll be on the 17-year-old’s shoulder when he’s finally announced.

Speaking on the Motorsport Italia YouTube channel, journalist Franco Nugnes gave more background on Kimi Antonelli’s future.

Every F1 driver has to give up their car for at least one Free Practice 1 session every season.

So far, the likes of Oliver Bearman, Isack Hadjar and Jack Doohan have all appeared, but Mercedes are yet to use either of their designated sessions.

Nugnes believes that the first time F1 fans will get the chance to see Antonelli in a Mercedes will be at the Italian Grand Prix.

It’s the perfect chance for Antonelli to drive in front of his home fans who may finally have a driver to support on the grid for the first time since Antonio Giovinazzi.

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

Kimi Antonelli could make first Mercedes F1 appearance at the Italian Grand Prix

Talking about the teenager, Nugnes said: “It is right to say that he turns 18 on August 25^th, but he could have made his debut in the FP1 tests while he was 17 years of age.

“As you know, the FIA has granted, upon specific request, exemptions that could have been given, but I must say that the idea is serious for a brand like Mercedes.

“They didn’t like the idea of putting a minor in a Formula 1 car, so they want to wait for him to come of age, wait for the regulatory constraints and then offer him the opportunity to get into a single seater.

“He did it in the tests where the constraints didn’t exist, he already drove the W13 in several tests but according to our information, he’s already driven the W15 [this year’s car] and could make his first public outing in the FP1 of the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.”

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Kimi Antonelli already impressing behind the scenes at Mercedes

Mercedes haven’t been in a rush to confirm their driver line-up in the hope that Verstappen and his camp will get fed up with Red Bull and look for a way out.

However, they do need to eventually commit to Antonelli and now seems like a very good time to do so.

Antonelli’s recent in Formula 2 has been superb, winning at Silverstone and the Hungaroring.

Williams team boss James Vowles was left impressed by Antonelli at Spa when he pulled off a daring overtake in difficult conditions.

Wolff has been left impressed by Antonelli’s testing performances behind closed doors which will alleviate any concerns that he’s not ready to make the step up.

The Italian may have already received a boost behind the scenes at Brackley, with race engineer Peter Bonnington looking to stay at Mercedes to work alongside Antonelli, rather than follow Hamilton to Ferrari.