If he lives up to his namesake at all he'll be a barnstormer in Formula 1. Antonelli is the youngest and most prized member of the Mercedes junior academy. He debuted at just age 9, and by age twelve he was already sined to the Mercedes junior academy. He'll hope to follow in the footsteps of other F1 veterans like Esteban Ocon and George Russell. He's by far the biggest talent currently in world karting. So far he's won four titles, and never finished below fifth in a season. Absolute king.
Gwen Lagrue, Mercedes' head of academy talent was quoted saying: "Kimi (his nickname) is a phenomenon. He’s racing for Kart Republic, Dino Chiesa’s team, who was previously taking care of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg about 20 years ago. We were really impressed with him – he’s very mature for his young age, is very patient and extremely clever."
2. Logan Sargeant (USA)
Let me just say howdy to all my American fans. Without a shadow of a doubt, Sargent is the biggest talent to come out of the U.S. since Michael Andretti. His class is shown in short bursts. He nearly ran to the F2 title after completing most of the season in the top spot. Some unfortunate retirements in his last four races cost him the title, but that doesn't make him any slower.
Sargent has yet to be be snatched up by an academy, and that will soon change. Likely to feature in Formula 2 next season, his star is bound only to rise.
3. Robert Schwartzman (Russia)
Many of the F2-conscious fans may know of this driver. Recently he narrowly missed out on a drive at Haas, but that's unlikely to put a crimp in his step. Schwartzman led the title among a field of massively talented drivers until a series of disappointments drifted him into fourth. Schwartzman has largely been on par with Schumacher next season, and will inevitably be battling fellow Ferrari Junior Callum Illot for the 2021 F2 crown.
4. Oscar Piastri (Australia)
F3's actual champion deserves credit of his own. Oscar managed to stay tight enough with Logan Sargeant to catch up up by season's end. (By four points!) Knowing this, his path to F1 gets much easier. Whether he can join up with F3 winners like Leclerc or Russell, only time will tell. His road gets easier however, as he gets top-class machinery in the title-winning Prema. He also took the Formula Renault series a year earlier, and we'll be watching to see if he can make it three for three from the past three years.
5. Juri Vips (Estonia)
The most hyped current member of the Red Bull Junior Team is only one step of the ladder from a Formula One seat. After a brief hiatus due to Covid cancelling his series run in Japan, the Red Bull Junior got his first flying laps in an F2 car. Much like Hulkenburg returning for two races in Britain, one has to see these results in context. And based on his inexperience, the performances he put in were exceptional. This guy is a star in the making.
6. Victor Martins (France)
Of the few Renault fans out there (sorry Renault fans), there are few young drivers which inspire as much hope as Martins. The former karting world champion comes highly rated, and his French pedigree is likely to keep him loyal to the yellow squadron's junior team. He is still very young, but his potential is F1-level. It's rare for Renault to receive a talent of his size, and we'll see what he can do with a few years of car racing under his belt.
7. Marcus Armstrong (Denmark)
By far the most underrated of the Ferrari Juniors, Armstrong put in a series of well-earned perfomances over the season. Having Mazepin as a teammate couldn't have been joyous, and his overtaking skill was overshadowed by the late-game title fight. All that aside, he has what it takes to be a high-finisher in F2 this following season. Provided he does that, he could jump above a Robert Schwartzman or a Callum Illot in the future.
8. Sergio Sette Camara (Brazil)
Camara has had an unlucky career. Through no fault of his own, he missed out on the change to continue with Red Bull. His pace has always been evident, and at this stage in his career he's an experienced driver. at least, McLaren certainly though so as they picked him up to be their test and reserve driver for 2021 onwards. Provided Ricciardo fins his time at the Woking-based team unsuitable, his replacement could be waiitng in the wings in the form of Sergio Sette Camara
9. Jak Crawford (USA)
Another American with potential, Jak Crawford hails from the Netherlands since moving to Europe. His Red Bull junior pedigree speaks volumes from such a young age. Despite this youth though, he has already impressed in the step-up towards car racing. He gained the individual accolade of rookie of the year in NACAM Formula 4 last year. He completed 6 wins and 14 podiums in his first season in car racing. He also finished 2nd in the championship in both that and the winter nationals series in America.
10. Dan Ticktum (Great Britian)
Dan comes in at last on this list only because of his current exposure to F1. As a youngster he faced massive issues with emotional management. So much so he was dropped from the Red Bull Junior team and banned for a year for reckless driving. While this reckless spirit hasn't totally subsided, his intuition to race hasn't dwindled either. Ticktum has taken some unexpected race-leads in inferior machinery this year, and excusing some maybe his fault maybe not driving accidents, he could be a multi-time race winner. All things told, Ticktum is a likely replacement for Russell in 2022 if he pursues a contract elsewhere.
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