The crucial traits of And𓆉rea Kimi Antonelli - who may replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes - have been identified.

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

It is likely that teenager Antonelli, currently in Formula 2,꧃ willꦑ be promoted to F1 in Hamilton’s place.

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

Antonelli “had the pick of F1 driver academy offers in his inbox at the age of just 13,” F2 commentator Ale🔯x Jacques told F1.com.

After he chose Mercedes to guide his ♛caree✱r, Antonelli displayed “incredible 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 up, Jacq𓃲ues believes.

“Performance in the wet can exemplify exc🅷eptional talent,” he said.

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

He insisted: “Calmness and🏅 adaptability are two🥀 vital traits for a modern driver.”

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

He joined Prema who have aidedജ the developmܫent of Pierre Gasly, Charles Leclerc, Mick Schumacher and Oscar Piastri.

Piaꦑstri, notably, won F2 in his rookie year while undergoing a testing programme aimed at F1. Anton▨elli has balanced F2 this year with testing Mercedes F1 cars.

In the wet, againꦇ, at Silverstone Antonelli claimed his first F1ඣ race victory. He also won the F2 feature race in Hungary.

Those two victories are “mere hints of a talent that was expected to🦩 be so obvious that Formula 1 promotion was unarguable,” Jacques insisted.

Anꦐtonelli has “incredible core speed, a calm head and rapid adaptability” which he plans to bring into F1 next seaso🀅n, Jacques said.

He looks set to enter with a team who are reju🧔venated.

Mercedes ha�🍌�ve won three of the past four grands prix, twice through Hamilton.

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

But Toto Wolff has made li༒ttle secret of his admiration for the teenager’s 🌠talent.

Mercedes could have the next Max Verstappen on their h꧟ands.