Andrea Kimi Antonelli admits he feels pressure from Mercedes this year as he continues to be linked with a full-time Formula 1 drive. Antonelli, who has been part of Mercedes’ youth training program for many years, was brought into Formula 2 this year after winning the European Formula Championship last season.

Last weekend at Silverstone, Antonelli took his first win in F2, winning in wet sprint conditions. The 17-year-old Italian driver is considered a potential candidate to replace Lewis Hamilton in 2025 when the seven-time world champion joins Ferrari. Speaking after his first F2 victory, Antonelli admitted he felt under great pressure this year. “I don’t always deal well with pressure,” Antonelli said. “Obviously there’s been a lot of pressure this season, to be honest. “But I can say I coped with it [in the Silverstone sprint race] quite well.

“There is still some improvement because sometimes I still make some mistakes.”
Antonelli sees first win as ‘a burden lifted off my shoulders’ Antonelli has been testing the Mercedes F1 machinery as the Brackley-based team prepares for his next race in the series. Mercedes is yet to make a decision on who will partner George Russell next year, but Antonelli is thought to be the best candidate.

As he receives huge attention this year, Antonelli admitted his first F2 win was a key moment in his development. “During qualifying [at Silverstone], I made a mistake on my lap and lost a lot of time. “So, definitely sometimes I still don’t perform at my best. But I always try my best to deal with pressure, and I think today was really the performance. “I felt a lot of relief because it really took a lot of weight off my shoulders.”