Kimi Antonelli now “showing signs of brilliance” as he looks to convince Mercedes

1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill believes Andrea Kimi Antonelli is now showing “the signs of brilliance” Mercedes keep “talking about” after a tricky start to life in F2.

Antonelli is the Mercedes wonderkid looking to replace Lewis Hamilton alongside George Russell for the 2025 F1 season.

The 17-year-old is the heavy favourite to take the seat with reports in the Italian press suggesting an announcement could be made at Monza next month.

Antonelli is only seventh in the F2 standings, 78 points off Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar.

But despite F2 being a spec series - where all the cars are meant to be identical - some teams have been struggling more than others.

Antonelli sits comfortably ahead of Prema teammate Oliver Bearman, who will race for Haas in F1 next year.

Speaking on the latest episode of the F1 Nation podcast, Hill commented on Antonelli’s progress in F2.

“I think he’s showing signs of the brilliance they keep talking about,” Hill said.

“They’ve obviously upped the rhetoric on Antonelli. We were struggling to see what they were talking about, I have to say early on.

“The team he’s with, Prema, haven’t got their car sorted so he’s been finding it difficult, as has Ollie Bearman, to compete in F2 but he’s put in a few good performances recently.”

In the most recent F2 round at Spa, Antonelli pulled off a stunning move in the wet into Eau Rouge on Franco Colapinto.

Hill thinks Antonelli will only continue to impress in the second half of the year.

“I didn’t see it but I think in the sprint race which they ran for only seven laps at Spa, I think he pulled off a bit of a move which everyone was talking about,” he added.

“When you get those frissons of pundits saying ‘did you see that? that was pretty impressive’. Then you know that he’s starting to mature and show this form, this talent that we’ve heard so much about.

“Definitely think, give him another half a season or something…”