Junior driver Kimi Antonelli got his first taste of a Formula One car this week, completing a two-day test at the Red Bull Ring.
Kimi, currently competing with PREMA in Formula 2, got behind the wheel of our W12 race car from 2021 in Austria.
“It’s been an incredible experience, it was really great to feel the power and downforce” said Kimi.
“I loved every second of it. It was really good fun and I want to thank all the team for all their hard work,” he added.
The test was carried out as part of our heritage programme, which both maintains and runs our previous cars in readiness for use in marketing-related activities.
“We did some sim work and ran through some important things ahead of the day,” added Kimi.
“That was really useful because once I was out on track, I knew what the team was telling me on the radio.”
After two days and 500km in the Styrian hills, Kimi’s focus now turns back to Formula 2, where he sits ninth in the standings after the first three rounds.
Early F2 season highlights have included a P2 in Qualifying in Australia and a P4 finish in the race.
“I have learned a lot in these two days, things which will be really helpful when I go back to F2.
“But I need to keep working, and keep improving too.”
I loved every second of it.
Kimi
The Italian graduated to Formula One’s top feeder series after winning Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA) last season.
In 2022, he won titles in both Italian and German F4 series. He has been a member of our junior programme since 2019.