Kimi Antonelli Drives F1 Car For The First Time

17-year-old junior driver Kimi Antonelli got his first chance to sit behind the wheel of a real Formula 1 car this week. Currently racing with PREMA in Formula 2, Kimi is ninth in the standings after round three in Australia.

He’s been part of Mercedes’ junior program since 2019 and the team principal, Toto Wolff, seems to be putting many hopes into the youngling. Now, Kimi completed a two-day test in Austria’s Red Bull Ring, driving the W12 car from 2021 – the last year Mercedes won the Constructor’s Championship.

This test took place as part of their heritage program, which is supposed to maintain the previously used F1’s racing cars. And to prepare them for marketing-related activities as well.

“It’s been an incredible experience, it was really great to feel the power and downforce,” said Kimi himself.

“I loved every second of it. It was really good fun and I want to thank all the team for all their hard work.”

“We did some sim work and ran through some important things ahead of the day,” he explained.

“That was really useful because once I was out on track, I knew what the team was telling me on the radio.”

Two days and 500 kilometers later, it’s time for the young driver to go back to focusing on his F2 season. Its next event will be in Imola, between 17th and 19th of May, playing a role of a support race for the Italian Grand Prix.

Kimi concluded: “I have learned a lot in these two days, things which will be really helpful when I go back to F2. But I need to keep working, and keep improving too.”

It seems the Italian prodigy has a bright future ahead of him – or at least many think so, given the fact he leveled up into ‘F1’s top feeder series’ just after winning the Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA) in 2023. There have been repeated rumours about the continuation of Kimi’s career, including a possible seat at Williams or Mercedes.

Now it all depends on his rookie season’s performance in F2. Because, as always – the results are all that matter at the end. And the numbers never lie.