Budding motorsport star Andrea Kimi Antonelli is seen as one of the sport’s hottest prospects, and has been dubbed the next Lewis Hamilton. The 16-year-old started karting aged seven and won a string of titles which attracted the attention of Mercedes, before earning a place on their driver academy program in 2019.
Antonelli made his debut in a single-seater for Prema in the Italian F4 championship just three weeks after turning 15. Despite his inexperience the youngster quickly reached the top – finishing on the podium in the final three rounds.
Last year the Italian dominated the series, winning 13 of the 20 races and informed Mercedes principal Toto Wolff about his success along the way. Antonelli told Fanpage.it: “I have a wonderful relationship with Mercedes and I also speak often with Toto and I always update him on my weekends and how they are going.
“I have a good relationship with him but also with the Mercedes Academy: they always follow me. I must say that I am very happy to be with them because they are helping me a lot and I know that with them I will be able to go a long way.”
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