The FIA has added a clause to the Sporting Code, lowering the F1 superlicence age to 17 in individual cases. Special dispensation may be granted if they have “consistently demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity in single-seater formula car competition.” A normal drivers license is not required anymore. Paving the way for Antonelli to make his debut before he turns 18 should the opportunity arise.
So they changed the rules so that Verstappen couldn’t happen again, and now they change it back at the next opportunity?
Not to mention they changed the rules to block Colton Herta. The FIA are ever the embarrassment to the sport.
Shows how much influence Mercedes has vs McLaren
Either way it’s a blight on the sport
Not sure how I feel about it. Felt arbitrary to block capable 17 year olds, but carving out the special exemption now feels wrong. What’s stopping them from changing things again and flipflopping back and forth?
What’s the fuzz about Antonielli anyways? He’s currently 6th in the F2 and has yet finish on the podium. That’s respectable, but doesn’t look like the next Verstappen. From the current grid, Leclerc, Russel, Hamilton, Norris, Piastri, Hülkenberg and possibly some others all had far more impressive rookie seasons in F2/GP2
Antonelli made a significant step from FRECA to F2, which is huge in terms of engine, tires, car setup complexity, and many other aspects. It’s unrealistic to expect him to dominate F2. What’s important is that he’s outperforming his teammate, who had a strong F1 race replacing Sainz in Saudi Arabia. That impresses me.
As outsiders, we’re unaware of how Antonelli works with engineers, his mental capabilities, and how his team rates him and why. There are many factors we don’t know or understand. I’d like to see an analysis of his driving style from an experienced racing driver, as regular viewers like us can’t spot the subtle details that distinguish exceptional drivers from the rest.
In any case, don’t judge Antonelli solely on his current results. Especially, avoid comparing him to drivers who had much more experience before debuting in GP2.
Reality enters the chat.
Looks like Logan’s last race was in Canada then.
Does Antonelli need to finish a certain position in F2 to earn a superlicense points or does he have enough already?
He has enough for a superlicense.
Antonelli has sufficient points from his junior resume’ in order to qualify for a Super License, having won Italian F4 and German F4 titles in 2022, before his Formula Regional European Championship in 2023.
Since he has the super license points already I feel like it’s not a huge deal in that regard. But I think the super license process should be revised on age so that this situation is avoided, either the driver is good enough or they aren’t, as determined by super license points.
