Hamilton replacement search takes TWIST after Mercedes star's massive Hungary win

The search for Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes replacement has taken a fresh twist after a huge result for Kimi Andrea Antonelli.

Speculation regarding who will replace the seven-time world champion when he joins Ferrari has been rife.

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The move has displaced current driver, Carlos Sainz, who was initially tipped to switch with Hamilton at Mercedes.

However, the arrival of Mercedes junior Kimi Andrea Antonelli has jeopardised Sainz’s future, with the Italian youngster emerging as the favourite for the vacant seat.

Antonelli achieves first F2 feature race win

Antonelli has impressed Mercedes bosses not only in a series of tests, but also after taking a spectacular Formula 2 sprint race win in the wet at Silverstone.

Now the 17-year-old has added a feature race win to his name in Hungary, charging through the field to achieve his maiden victory.

Prema and Antonelli took advantage of a late Safety Car that allowed him to put on the soft tyres and fight through from fifth to take the win.

Not only did his team celebrate his victory, but members of the Mercedes F1 garage were seen supporting the young star as he took the top step of the podium.

Antonelli achieved a series of junior category championship wins in Italian F4 and the Formula Regional European Championship, thus skipping Formula 3 and promoted straight to F2.

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Despite his pedigree, it has been a difficult season for the Prema driver, who has admitted to feeling under significant pressure regarding the Mercedes seat speculation.

Antonelli failed to step on an F2 podium until Silverstone, and his recent feature race win will bolster his cause to join the F1 grid in 2025.

His team-mate at Prema, Ollie Bearman, has already secured a seat in F1 for next season where he will join Haas, and Antonelli’s first feature win is undoubtedly a significant step towards his F1 future.

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