Andrea Kimi Antonelli can drive an F1 before the age of 18
Andrea Kimi Antonelli canò drive an F1 before the age of 18
The autosport.com website reported that Andrea Kimi Antonelli canò race in Formula 1 before he turns 18. In fact, the FIA has lowered the minimum age of the superlicense to 17.
È updated, simply put, Appendix L of the FIA International Sporting Code with a clause stating that although the minimum age for the superlicense required to drive in F1 is 18, a special dispensation may be granted to some drivers to receive one at 17.
Thisò also affected the requirements for a superlicense reserved for free practice only, which follows the same wording and means Antonelli could make his FP1 debut before his 18th birthday, which è is Aug. 25. Max Verstappen, at 17 years 5 months and 15 days old, è was the only one to compete, in Melbourne in 2015, before the age of 18, prompting the FIA to introduce that limit for superlicense, now amended.
Article 13.1.2 of Appendix L reads: "At the sole discretion of the FIA, a driver judged to have recently and consistently demonstrated exceptional skill and maturity in single-seater formula motor racing may be granted a Super License at age 17." It has long been expected that Antonelli will take over the Mercedes vacancy for 2025, while Lewis Hamilton will leave for Ferrari to partner with George Russell on the team.
The Italian, a native of Bologna, è has been supported by Mercedes since he raced karts, and his rapid progression through the single-seater categories è came with title wins in the Italian F4 and European Formula Regional Championships in 2022 and 2023, respectively, driving for Prema, with whom he è stayed for his first season in Formula 2, although the team struggled to cope with the new Dallara chassis introduced this year.
È it was reported that a request had been made to the FIA earlier this year about granting a super-license to Antonelli despite the fact that he was not yet 18 years old, to which the FIA appears to have responded through its rule changes. The rule changes mean that Antonelli could theoretically make his FP1 debut, or even race, before the F1 summer break, perhaps at Williams in place of Logan Sargeant, if the FIA deemed him worthy of the criteria set.
