Williams team principal James Vowles has detailed a private conversation with Toto Wolff over Mercedes protégé Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
The F2 driver has been linked with Logan Sargeant's Williams seat, with speculation the 17-year-old could replace the American in the second-half of the F1 season, potentially ahead of partnering George Russell at Mercedes in 2025.
However, whilst that remains rumour at this stage, Vowles did admit to discussing the Italian driver with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
The 45-year-old confirmed he had a text conversation with his former boss during the F2 sprint race at Spa Francorchamps when Antonelli pulled off one of the moments of the weekend.
Heading towards the legendary - and notoriously dangerous - Eau Rouge and Raidillon corners, Antonelli was side-by-side with Williams junior Franco Colapinto in damp conditions.
Pinned against the wall, the Prema Racing driver did not lift, sweeping past the Argentinian to pull off a stunning overtaking move.
"I'll talk to you about something that's very private, but I hope Toto doesn't mind," Vowles told select media including RacingNew365. "We were messaging during the F2 [sprint] race [at Spa-Francorchamps].
"And for me, what Kimi did is bloody impressive. It was against Colapinto, our own driver here [at Williams]. He went up the inside [of Eau Rouge] and he didn't lift."
Brave and skilful with 'snaps at the top of Eau Rouge'
It is another moment which has further aided the growing belief that whilst just 17 years of age, Antonelli is ready to graduate to F1, as his F2 team-mate Oliver Bearman will do next season.
The Italian was the class of the field in wet conditions at Silverstone, where he comfortably won the sprint race in early July.
He followed up that triumph two weeks later at the Hungaroring with his first F2 feature race win. It was another strong display, where he managed safety car restarts better than his peers, making use of good fortune on strategy to easily dispatch those ahead in the closing stages.
"For all of you that have at least been in a racing car, you know how tough that move was," Vowles added on Antonelli's Eau Rogue overtake.
"That, in the wet, is not just brave, that takes a hell of a lot of skill, and he had snaps at the top of Eau Rouge. That's impressive."
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