Williams boss James Vowles has poured cold water on the chance that Mercedes Junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli could make his Formula 1 debut with the side in 2024.
Antonelli was considered a candidate to replace Logan Sargeant at Williams in 2025 should Mercedes have elected to prioritise experience to replace Lewis Hamilton.
The Italian has been dovetailing his maiden Formula 2 campaign, where he has seized two victories, with a rigorous F1 testing programme in previous Mercedes cars.
However, Williams’ announcement that it has signed Carlos Sainz to partner Alex Albon next term has all but assured that Antonelli will be handed the Mercedes seat.
READ MORE: Mercedes poised to announce Antonelli at F1 Italian GP
But with Vowles not guaranteeing that Sargeant will retain his drive until this season concludes, it has been touted Antonelli could be in line to make an earlier F1 bow.
The Grove-based squad was reported to have been behind a dispensation request to the FIA that would’ve enabled Antonelli to enter F1 prior to turning 18 this month.
Vowles, though, has repeated that he wants to provide Sargeant with the chance to earn his position, despite acknowledging that he might have to review that stance.
Asked whether Mercedes chief Toto Wolff was pushing him to promote Antonelli, Vowles told media including Motorsport Week: “Toto isn’t pushing him towards me.
“And my perspective, as I said before, is I’d much rather give Logan every opportunity to succeed, and be an ongoing professional racing driver.
“Where I’m balancing, and the reason why I said not an absolute yes to [him staying], is when we make this car faster, and we will make it faster,
I have a responsibility to finish as high up in the championship as possible. And if he delivers, brilliant. If he doesn’t, then I need to reconsider my options.”
Vowles helped shape Antonelli’s progression during his protracted time with Mercedes, but the Williams Team Principal doesn’t think that their paths will cross again.
“He’s a good kid – but he’s 17,” Vowles continued. “I’ll be proud of whatever he achieves, because I was part of his journey all the way up until the last few years.
“But I’m not sure that’s going to overlap with Williams.”
Nevertheless, Vowles was astonished by the ambitious overtake that Antonelli completed going up Eau Rouge during a wet F2 Sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix.
“I’ll talk to you about something that’s very private, but I hope Toto doesn’t mind,” he began.
“We were messaging yesterday during the F2 race. And for me, what Kimi did is bloody impressive. It was against [Franco] Colapinto, our own driver here.”
“He went up the inside, and he didn’t lift. And for all of you that have at least been in a racing car, you know how tough that move was.
“That in the wet is not just brave, that takes a hell of a lot of skill. And he had snaps at the top of Eau Rouge. That’s impressive.”
