Source: REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier
[Saba Sports News] Recently, the FIA has updated Appendix L of the International Sporting Regulations to introduce a new provision. Although the minimum age requirement for obtaining a super license to compete in Formula One is 18 years old, exceptional cases now allow certain drivers to secure it at age 17. This exception applies to drivers who consistently demonstrate excellence and maturity in junior formula competitions. Andrea Kimi Antonelli, a rising star in the motor sports world, is poised to take advantage of this new rule. He stands a chance to make his debut in FP1 sessions or even compete in Formula One races before his 18th birthday on August 25. Since the FIA’s announcement, Antonelli has garnered widespread attention from European sports media outlets. Information reveals that he began participating in karting competitions at the age of seven and joined the Mercedes junior training program in 2019. His meteoric rise continued in 2021, when he started competing in the Italian F4 Championship. In 2022, he achieved championship titles in both the Italian F4 Championship and the ADAC F4 Championship. In 2023, he added further laurels to his resume by winning both the Middle East Regional Formula Championship and the European Regional Formula Championship. Impressively, Antonelli skipped the FIA F3 Championship and progressed directly to the FIA F2 Championship in 2024, earning him the moniker of a “prodigy” from the media.