Kimi Antonelli steps forward and arrives in Formula 2 for 2024 with the Prema Team

This news has been circulating for a few weeks, but now the long-awaited official announcement has arrived: Andrea Kimi Antonelli will race in Formula 2 in 2024 with the Prema team. So the Mercedes nursery gem is preparing to make a double jump in the category, avoiding Formula 3 and going straight from Regional Formula to FIA F2.

The seventeen-year-old from Bologna, two-time European Karting Champion, is Coming back from two fantastic years of single-seater racing in which he won every championship he encountered at the first attempt: Italian and German Formula 4 in 2022, Formula Middle East and European Regional in 2023, as well as last year’s win at the FIA ​​Motorsport Games in Paul Ricard in blue.

An impressive roadmap convinced Toto Wolff’s team to accelerate the pace and enhance Casalicchio’s talent in the most important preparatory championship before Formula One. Antonelli, as a rookie, will at least have the advantage of making his debut with the introduction of the new generation of Formula 2 from next year.

“I am very happy about this opportunity. From Regional Formula to Formula 2 it will be a huge jump. I realize it’s going to be very difficult because the bar is really high. It will be a new car for me and others, but it will still be difficult. I don’t want to create expectations, I will try to learn as much as possible in the tests to be ready for the first race, have fun as always and do well. I am happy to continue working with PREMA, with whom I started my career in single-seater cars and which is my second family. I love working with themKimmy commented.

Here are the statements Rene RosenItalian team manager:We are proud to welcome Kimi to our Formula 2 team. He has been with us since the beginning, so not only do we know him well, but we are also particularly proud of what he has been able to achieve in his first two years. Time in one seat. “Kimi is a talented driver and a great team player, so we can’t wait to see what the 2024 season has in store for us and are focused on helping him make the step up as smoothly as possible.”

Photo: Andrea Kimi Antonelli