Helmut Marko spoke about Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s arrival in F1 and why neither Red Bull nor Ferrari tried to approach him.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli will drive for Mercedes in the 2025 Formula 1 championship, when he will replace Lewis Hamilton, but Helmut Marko revealed some behind-the-scenes details about Ferrari and Red Bull. According to the Red Bull super-consultant, the young driver from Bologna was never on Milton Keynes’ radar. On the contrary, Ferrari could have had the priority to sign him, but that didn’t happen, paving the way for Toto Wolff and Mercedes.
Mercedes chose Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who will replace Lewis Hamilton starting in 2025. The announcement was officially confirmed a few weeks ago, following months of rumors in the paddock that sometimes saw him very close to signing, sometimes parked in Williams, and at other times still in Formula 2. The Italian’s future is now set, and his debut in the first free practice session at Monza was just a taste of what’s to come.
His path to Formula 1 has been relatively short compared to other drivers, but it is undoubtedly marked by success. From his karting days, Andrea Kimi Antonelli has shown exceptional talent, comparable, according to some, to Max Verstappen. However, as Helmut Marko revealed, he might not have impressed everyone when he was younger.
“At the time, he was racing with Tony Kart, which cooperated with Ferrari,” the Austrian explained on the Inside Line F1 podcast. “But you can’t sign every driver! Ferrari obviously didn’t sign Antonelli, despite having the priority over others. I’m not very informed about his specifics, but I know he’s had a lot of time in F1 cars. If someone has talent and a team has enough courage…” – the Red Bull boss pointed out.
“We showed with Max [Verstappen] that it’s the right approach: someone is moving up in the junior categories and has talent? Put them in the car!” Helmut Marko concluded, suggesting that Verstappen’s success likely influenced Mercedes’ decision.
Source: f1ingenerale
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