Andrea Kimi Antonelli is making waves in the racing world with his recent performances. However, the young driver remains unsure about whether he’s ready to leap into Formula 1 just yet.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli recently scored his second F2 win in Hungary, adding to his earlier victory in the rain-soaked conditions at Silverstone. These wins might signal to some that the 17-year-old is ready to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. However, Antonelli himself is not so convinced.
The driver explained, “I don’t know if I will be ready, to be honest. I’m still learning a lot in F2. I definitely still make a lot of mistakes and the details that really matter, I’m still not doing everything right.”
Antonelli backed up his point by mentioning the issues he faced in recent races. While he took the win in Silverstone, it followed a four-race streak without scoring a single point. In a recent sprint race, he pushed too hard on his soft tires, made a mistake at Turn 1, and ended up flat-spotting his tires. He then had to pit, dropping to 14th place.
Still, Antonelli sees these challenges as learning opportunities. “That definitely was a good lesson for the feature race. There is still some work to do but we are moving in the right direction,” he said.
Rumors about Antonelli’s future began swirling even before the F2 season started, especially after Hamilton announced his plans. Antonelli admitted, “From Silverstone, I feel way lighter – there’s quite a bit less pressure on my shoulders.” Recent wins have allowed him to focus more freely and naturally on his driving.
Despite the ups and downs, Antonelli is keeping his feet firmly on the ground, acknowledging the need to continue honing his skills in F2 before considering a jump to the big leagues.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s journey in F2 is full of promise and learning experiences. Whether or not he’s ready for F1 remains to be seen, but one thing is sure: he’s on the right path.
Source: Motorsport
