Mercedes F1 junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli will jump from FRECA to FIA F2 in 2024 with Prema after securing the title in the former.
PREMA Racing announces that Italian racer Andrea Kimi Antonelli will compete with the team in the 2024 FIA Formula 2 Championship. Antonelli, who started his single-seater career with PREMA in late 2021, experienced outstanding success so far, so much so that he will be making the step to the highly challenging Formula 1 feeder series next season after winning five titles in less than two years.
An outstanding kart racer, Antonelli captured a sensational double driver title in the Italian and German Formula 4 championships in 2023, amassing a record amount of wins in the process. Following the completion of the regular season, he entered the FIA Motorsport Games Formula 4 Cup, securing the Gold Medal and contributing to Italy’s overall success.
At the start of 2023, he took the Formula Regional Middle East Championship crown, scoring three wins and seven podiums. Joining the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, one of the most competitive junior series at international level, Antonelli was a contender from the start.
He delivered an outstanding progression that culminated in claiming the Driver Championship in spectacular fashion with two races to go at Zandvoort. Antonelli, who has been a Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team Junior Driver since the early days of his career, will join the team in the 2023 FIA Formula 2 postseason test at Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi.
Rene Rosin: “We are proud to welcome Kimi to our FIA Formula 2 team. He has been with us since the very beginning so not only do we know him well, but we are also particularly proud of what he was able to achieve in his first two years full-time in single-seaters. Kimi is a gifted racer and a great team player, so we cannot wait to see what the 2024 season will bring and we are focused on helping him to make the step in the smoothest possible way.”
Antonelli: “I’m very happy for this opportunity. From Formula Regional to Formula 2, it will be a huge jump. I’m aware that it will be very challenging because the level is really high there. It will be a new car, for me and the others as well, but it’s still going to be tough. I don’t want to set expectations, I will try to learn as much as possible in testing to be ready for the first race, have fun as always, and do a good job. I’m delighted to continue with PREMA as I started my single-seater career with them and they are my second family. I love working with them.”
[Note: The story is as per press release]
