Danish driver Frederik Vesti will step behind the wheel of the W14 once again during FP1 in Abu Dhabi this weekend, but it is a different Mercedes junior driver who is the most likely to succeed in the daunting task of filling Lewis Hamilton’s shoes after retirement – Kimi Antonelli.
Hamilton will turn 39 before the 2024 F1 season gets underway next spring and while the seven-time world champion has signed a new two-year contract extension with Mercedes, age catches up to everybody and his time in the spotlight will soon come to an end.
Mercedes poured resources into George Russell during his time in Formula 2 and his early F1 career with Williams, and the 25-year-old is still seen as the long-term team leader at Brackley once Hamilton does retire, but aside from him, the team’s talent pipeline is running thin.
Mick Schumacher was brought on board after his departure from Haas in 2022 following a couple of disappointing seasons upon his graduation from F2. However, he has signed on to Alpine’s World Endurance Championship program for next year, all but ending his hopes of a full-time return to the F1 grid.
Instead, Mercedes’ short-term attention has turned to Vesti, who featured in FP1 for the team in Mexico last month alongside a host of other rookies, impressing team principal Toto Wolff with his steady performance behind the wheel.
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The 21-year-old Dane will get another chance to drive for Mercedes in Abu Dhabi this weekend, completing the team’s young driver FP1 responsibilities for 2023 by replacing Hamilton during Friday’s first session.
Despite this mileage, it remains to be seen whether Vesti has the credentials and backing to make the step onto the F1 grid full-time. He still has a shot at beating Sauber junior Theo Pourchaire to the F2 title in Abu Dhabi this weekend, but despite this season’s success, talk of a spot on the 2024 grid has been almost non-existent.
Instead, Mercedes’ long-term hopes are pinned on Antonelli. Everything the 17-year-old has touched in his junior career thus far has turned to gold, and the young Italian is making the giant leap from Formula Regional to F2 for 2024.
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Antonelli’s potential has been known to the racing community for many years – no driver has enjoyed a junior career this impressive and this publicised since Max Verstappen shot through the ranks.
The teenager’s F2 project is expected to be a two-year program with PREMA Racing, who have helped the likes of Schumacher and Oscar Piastri to the titles in recent years. However, with so much pressure on his shoulders, Antonelli will need to hit the ground running in his rookie campaign if he is to deliver on his considerable potential.
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