Antonelli set for Monza FP1 debut with Mercedes
Mercedes is set to give their young protégé Andrea Kimi Antonelli his first free practice session in F1, with the young Italian taking to the track at the Italian Grand Prix next week at Monza.
Antonelli, who will turn 18 on race day at Zandvoort next weekend, is currently competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship with Prema.
But the teenager is also undergoing a rigorous private F1 test programme with Mercedes designed to ease his likely promotion next year to motorsport’s elite.
The Italian’s FP1 outing at Monza will mark Antonelli's first public appearance in an F1 car and a significant step in his development ahead of his potential integration into Mercedes’ 2025 line-up alongside George Russell.
According to a report from Motorsport.com, Antonelli will be getting behind the wheel of Hamilton's W15 car for Friday’s opening practice at Monza.
The session will be part of the mandatory rookie driver FP1 outings each team must fulfill during the season. Monza is also expected to be the stage where Mercedes officially announces Antonelli's promotion to their 2025 driver lineup alongside George Russell.
Prepping for the future, Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington, who became Mercedes' head of race engineering this week, is expected to be Antonelli's engineer for the session.
This will allow Bono to further establish a working relationship with the young driver, with whom he became acquainted after last month’s Belgian Grand Prix when several key members of the Mercedes team stayed on at Spa to monitor Antonelli’s progress during a Pirelli tyre test.
Mercedes has yet to officially announce its rookie driver plans for the remainder of the season, but with only two suitable opportunities left after Monza - Mexico and Abu Dhabi - the Italian Grand Prix weekend offers a prime venue for Antonelli to showcase his talent in front of his home crowd.
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