Mercedes protege Andrea Kimi Antonelli could make his F1 debut before he tur﷽ns 18 after an FIA rule change.

The 17-year-old Italian has been tipped as one of the leading candidates to replace 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next season, despite only being ♐in his first Formula 2 campaign this year.

🐬Recent private testing in previous Mercedes F1 cars sparked rumours that the team were preparing Antonelli for an early grand prix debut.

Speculation only intensified when it emerged the FIA ha๊d received a request at the start of May to grant Antonelli a super licence under special dispensation.

This led to wild suggestions that Antonelli could replace Williams’168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: Logan Sargeant at the Emilia🅠 Romagna Grand P♕rix, but this was quickly dismissed by team principal James Vowles.

However, t꧂he FIA has now made tweaks to the rules w𒁏hich open the door for Antonelli to his F1 debut at the age of 17.

This does not necessarily mean that Antonelli, w🔴ho doesn’t turn 18 until August, will take part in a full𝄹 race weekend. A team could simply run him in a practice session only.

Article 13.1.2 of Appendix L of the FIA International Sporting Code has been updated and now reads: "At the sole discretion of the FIA, a driver j💦udged to have recently and consistently demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity in single-seater formula car competition may be granted a Super Licence at the age of 17 years old.”

Antonelli has outperformed Prema teammate Oliver Bearman, who impressed on his F1 debut with Ferrari at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and cur🎃rently lies sixth in the championship, 32 points behind series leadꦏer Paul Aron.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has indicated that the team’s favoured option is to promote Antonelli into a works’ seat next year, having ruled out a move for outgoing Ferrari driver168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: Carlos Sainz.

"He♏ [Carlos Sainz] has done a fantastic job but for us, we've embarked on a route now, we want to reinvent ourselves a little bit going forward. And Kimi Antonelli definitely plays a part in that,” Wolff said at the Canadian Grand Prix.

“We haven't taken the decision yet for next year but we didn't want to have Carlos wait as well, because he needs t♔o take the decisions for himself and that's just fair.”