Mercedes say recent F1 tests involving ✨Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Mick Schumacher were “incorrectly labelled” as a “shootout”.

Antonelli, George Russel🐽l and reserve Mick Schumacher recently took part in ꦬprivate testing for Mercedes at Silverstone, with some suggestions this would be a “shootout” to determine the team’s driver line-up for 2025.

17-year-old Formula 2 racer Antonelli is believed to be the frontrunner to replace Ferrari-bound168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: Lewis Hamilton in Mercedes line-up next season, with the highly-rated Italian taking paꩵrt in several test outings in Mercedes F1 machinery.

A recent test at Silverstone attracted particular attention after it was dubbe🌟d as a ‘shootout', but Mercedes insist that “was neither the intention nor the fiౠndings of the running”.

“It’s important to understand that each driver completed different programmes, on different days, in different track and weatherꦆ conditions,” a Mercedes team spokesperson continued.

"Unfortunately💖, unverified speculation has led to conclusions and comparisons being published that do♔ not reflect what happened.”

Antonelli and Schumacher are set to get behin𒊎d the wheel of Mercedes’ 202ꦅ2 car - the W13 - next week at Barcelona.

“Both Mick and Kimi have done an excellent job de♊livering their respective programmes, to the complete satisfaction of the team, and we are looking forward to three busy days of running next w🅘eek, too,” Mercedes added.

Having bypassed Formula 3 to make an immediate step 🐭up to F2 following his title-winning exploits in Formula 4, An🔯tonelli currently occupies sixth place in the 2024 drivers’ standings. He is 32 points behind championship leader Paul Aron.

Mercedes 💃boss Toto Wolff recently admitted he had perhaps made a mi🌌stake in hyping up Antonelli.

“We are hyping that young man for a long time 🐠now and he will be a great driver one day in Formula 1,” Wolff said at Imola.

“But he's 17. Fourteen months ago he drove an F4 car [Antonelli last raced in F4 19 months ago], and there is so much expectation in Italy. We are a little bit guilty also of talking about him at that🦩 stage.

“We shoul🅷d let him do his F2 thing and deliver results and not be too carried away with what could be or should be.

“Look at George [Russell] - he won F3 [when it was GP3, pictured above] and F2 in his rookie year, and𒅌 at the same time Kimi has delivered in those junior series and is in F2 now and so we'll see.

“He's🌌 going to be in Formula 1 oneඣ day, but let's not rush it.”