The cruc🦄ial traits of Andrea Kimi Antonelli - who may replace Lewis Hamilton at Merced💦es - have been identified.

The vacant drive that Hamilton will leave behind when he goes to Ferrari in 2025 i𓂃s one of just four seats still to be filled next year.

It is likely that teenager 🍸Antonelli, currently in Formula 2, will be promoted to F1 in Hamilton’s p🦩lace.

The Italian, 17, has been regarded as a prodigiouꦬs talent for years.

Antonelli “had the pick of F1 🌞driver aca🦹demy offers in his inbox at the age of just 13,” F2 commentator Alex Jacques told F1.com.

After he chose Mercedes to guide his career, Antonelli di𒈔splayed “increꦦdible touch and control” to win at Zandvoort (scene of this weekend’s F1 return) in a title-winning FRECA championship.

This victory at Zandvoort in difficult conditions was a hint to future F1 team bosses that he possessed the skill to step upꩲ, Jacques belieꦬves.

“Performance in ꧅the wet can exemplify exceptional talent,” he said.

Antonelli has also proven a “calmness beyond his years” on the race tracꦉk, Jacques says.

He insisted: “Calmness and adaptabi🦹lity are two vital traits for a modern driver.”

Mercedes opted to bypass Formula 3 and throw Antonelli straight🌸 into Formula 2 this season.

He joined Prema who have aided the development o♚f Pierre Gasly, Charles Leclerc, Mick Schumacher and Oscar Piastri.

Piastri, notably, won F2 in his rookie year while undergoi🔯ng a testing programme aimed at F1. Antonelli has balanced F2 this year with testing Mercedes F1 c♍ars.

In the wet, again, at Silverstone Antonelli claimed his🌌 first F1 race victory. He a๊lso won the F2 feature race in Hungary.

Those two victorie🎀s are “mere hints of a talentꦍ that was expected to be so obvious that Formula 1 promotion was unarguable,” Jacques insisted.

Antonelli has “incredible core speed, a calm head and rapid adaptability” which he plans𓃲 to bring into F1 next season, Jacques said.

He looks set to enter with a team who are rejuv♈enated.

Mercedes have won thr🌳ee of the past four grands prix, twice through Hamilജton.

If 𝕴they can maintain their form and win more races this year, the pressure on Antonelli arguably increases if he gets the nod to replace Hamilton.

But Toto Wolff has🍸 made little secret of his admiration for the teenager’s talent.

Mercedes could have the next Max Verstappen on ൩their han﷽ds.