Kimi Antonelli spent just a single campaign in FIA Formula 2 before securing his promotion to Formula 1 with Mercedes, but the Italian certainly left his mark during that time. Driving for PREMA Racing, he put together a campaign featuring two wins and several stunning overtakes that reminded everyone why the hype machine has been spinning so fast.
His arrival at the front of the F2 field came in style at a treacherous Silverstone circuit during the Sprint Race. Starting from the front, he handled the tricky wet conditions with absolute authority, immediately pulling a three-second gap over closest challenger Zane Maloney on the opening lap. Even multiple Safety Car interventions could not disrupt his rhythm, as he mastered every restart and flew away from the pack. By the time the chequered flag dropped, he was over eight seconds clear of anyone else, winning at a canter.
He did not have to wait long for his first Feature Race victory either, claiming top honors in Budapest shortly after. Starting seventh on the grid, he climbed to fifth on the opening lap while running an alternative strategy on the Hard compound tyres. An opportunistic dive to the inside of Turn 9 put him past Maloney into fourth, and he managed his rubber brilliantly to extend his stint.
When a Safety Car arrived on Lap 22, the PREMA driver pitted for Softs and emerged fifth into a bunched-up field. The restart sparked a stunning charge: instant moves on Dennis Hauger and Enzo Fittipaldi took him to third within three corners, a dive down the inside of Gabriel Bortoleto at Turn 1 grabbed second on the next lap, and Victor Martins was dispatched at the exact same spot shortly after to complete the climb to the front. He crossed the line with a near 12-second gap to underline the victory.
While he did not stand on the top step of the podium again for the remainder of the campaign, there was still time for more brilliance. Another wet race at Spa gave him a platform to showcase his racecraft, highlighted by a fierce battle with Franco Colapinto entering Lap 3. Squeezed tight against the inside wall heading down the hill to Eau Rouge as the rain intensified, Antonelli refused to lift, flying through to take the position on the climb. A subsequent Safety Car and Red Flag cut the action short, but it provided yet another unforgettable highlight from his time in the championship.
F2
