Kimi Antonelli Bio
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, known professionally as Kimi Antonelli, is an Italian racing driver who competes in Formula One for Mercedes. Born in Bologna, Antonelli emerged as one of the most decorated junior drivers of his generation, winning multiple karting and single-seater championships before reaching the top tier of motorsport at age 18.
A member of the Mercedes Junior Team since 2019, Antonelli was promoted directly to the works Mercedes Formula One team in 2025, replacing seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton. He is contracted to remain with the team through at least the end of the 2026 season.
Early Life and Background
Andrea Kimi Antonelli was born on 25 August 2006 in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. He is the son of Marco Antonelli, a sportscar racing driver and founder of Antonelli Motorsport, which won the 2018 Italian GT Championship. His mother, Veronica Antonelli, has worked in motorsport since 1997, helping Marco operate the family’s racing team, AKM Motorsport. He has a younger sister named Maggie.
His father originally wanted him to play association football in Italy, but Antonelli showed a stronger passion for motorsport. He began kart racing at the age of seven and was scouted by Giovanni Minardi, the son of Giancarlo Minardi, after attending a summer camp with the Automobile Club d’Italia in 2014. He attended ITCS Gaetano Salvemini in Casalecchio di Reno, where he studied international relations and marketing, and learned to speak English during his race weekends.
Antonelli’s middle name, Kimi, was chosen by Enrico Bertaggia and given to his father because he wanted his son to have a foreign name after Andrea. Although he shares the name with 2007 Formula One World Drivers’ Champion Kimi Räikkönen, the two are not related.
Path to Motorsport
Antonelli won his first karting title at the 2015 Trofeo Easykart Italia in the 60 cc class and continued to climb the international karting ladder with Rosberg Racing Academy and Kart Republic. In 2020, aged 14, he won the senior OK-class European Championship on his debut in the category, becoming the FIA Karting Rookie of the Year. He successfully defended the European title in 2021 in dominant fashion, taking five wins from eight races.
Three weeks after turning 15, Antonelli made his junior formulae debut in the 2021 Italian F4 Championship with Prema. He finished tenth overall as the highest-placed rookie despite missing the majority of the season. In 2022, he delivered a record-breaking campaign, winning the Italian F4 Championship with thirteen victories and the ADAC Formula 4 Championship, while also helping Italy win gold in the Formula 4 Cup at the FIA Motorsport Games.
Kimi Antonelli Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
Antonelli’s first full season of single-seater racing came in 2022, when he swept both the Italian F4 and ADAC F4 titles with Prema. He took thirteen wins in Italian F4, a record at the time, and was nearly as dominant in ADAC F4, clinching the championship with one round to spare at the Nürburgring. His performances established him as the leading junior driver in the world.
Beyond F4, Antonelli made his sportscar racing debut in May 2023 with AKM Motorsport, winning the opening round of the Italian GT3 Championship from pole position in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo. He graduated from F4 with 26 wins, 24 pole positions, and 37 podium finishes in 57 appearances, becoming the second-most successful driver in the discipline’s history.
Formula Regional Breakthrough (2023)
In 2023, Antonelli stepped up to the Formula Regional categories and won both the Middle East and European championships. He secured the Middle East title with one race to spare at Yas Marina and later clinched the European crown at Zandvoort with a dominant victory from eighth on the grid in mixed-weather conditions. He ended the European season with five wins, eleven podiums, and four pole positions, finishing 39 points clear of Martinius Stenshorne. He was voted driver of the season by the team principals and was ranked the best driver in junior formulae by Formula Scout.
Formula 2 (2024)
Antonelli bypassed FIA Formula 3 and moved directly to FIA Formula 2 in 2024 with Prema, alongside Ferrari Driver Academy member Oliver Bearman. He claimed his maiden victory in the rain-affected Silverstone sprint and followed it up with his first feature race win in Budapest, rising to sixth in the championship standings. He withdrew from the season-ending round at Yas Marina due to illness and finished the year sixth overall on 113 points, with two victories from three podiums.
Mercedes Era (2025–Present)
Antonelli signed for Mercedes in 2025 on a one-year contract, replacing Lewis Hamilton to partner George Russell. At the Australian Grand Prix, he became the third-youngest driver in Formula One history at 18 years and 203 days old, the first Italian in Formula One since Antonio Giovinazzi in 2021, and the second-youngest points-scorer in the sport’s history after climbing to fourth in rain-affected conditions.
He qualified and finished sixth in Japan, becoming both the youngest driver to lead a race and the youngest to set a fastest lap in Formula One history. He added his maiden podium with third place at the Canadian Grand Prix, holding off championship leader Oscar Piastri. He then took second in both the São Paulo sprint and Grand Prix, leading at one stage and fending off Max Verstappen in the closing laps. A fourth-place on-track finish in Las Vegas became his third podium of the season after both McLarens were disqualified. He is set to remain alongside George Russell at Mercedes in 2026.
Driving Style and Strengths
Antonelli is widely regarded as a confident, committed driver with strong race craft in changing weather. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has publicly backed him through early mistakes, and teammates have praised his work ethic and willingness to learn. His partnership with George Russell has been built on open data sharing and clear technical feedback.
Notable Races and Milestones
Highlights include his Italian F4 title-clinching win at Mugello in 2022, his European Championship-sealing victory at Zandvoort in 2023, his maiden F2 feature race win in Budapest in 2024, his first Formula One podium at the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix, and his first Formula One front-row start at the 2025 São Paulo Grand Prix.
Kimi Antonelli Career Wins
Across karting and single-seater racing, Kimi Antonelli has accumulated a remarkable list of titles and victories, establishing himself as one of the most decorated young drivers in recent history.
Formula Regional Highlights
Antonelli won both the 2023 Formula Regional Middle East Championship and the 2023 Formula Regional European Championship, becoming the first driver to claim both titles in the same year. He wrapped up the European crown with a dominant victory at Zandvoort and dedicated the title to Dilano van ‘t Hoff, a fellow driver who had died earlier that season.
Other Wins and Performances
In karting, Antonelli won back-to-back CIK-FIA European Championships in the OK class in 2020 and 2021. In single-seaters, he won the 2022 Italian F4 and ADAC F4 championships, took gold for Italy in the FIA Motorsport Games Formula 4 Cup, won his first two FIA Formula 2 races in 2024, and scored three Formula One podiums in his rookie 2025 campaign.
Kimi Antonelli Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Antonelli comes from a deeply rooted motorsport family. His father, Marco Antonelli, is a sportscar racing driver who founded Antonelli Motorsport in 1993 and the San Marino-based AKM Motorsport team. His mother, Veronica Antonelli, has supported the family’s racing operations since 1997. He has a younger sister, Maggie, and the family remains closely involved in his racing career.
Personal Life
Since October 2023, Antonelli has been in a relationship with Czech kart racer Eliška Bábíčková, the sister of 2022 W Series driver Tereza Bábíčková. He selected the number 12 as his personal racing number in Formula One, inspired by his idol Ayrton Senna, and uses a Savoy blue helmet with the green, white, and red of the Italian flag. He is a supporter of Bologna FC 1909 and Virtus Bologna, and he aspires to reach the success of fellow Italian sportsmen Jannik Sinner and Valentino Rossi.
2025 Season Performance
Kimi Antonelli’s 2025 rookie season with Mercedes has been a campaign of steady growth. After an impressive fourth-place debut in Australia, he became the youngest driver in Formula One history to lead a race and set a fastest lap at the Japanese Grand Prix, finishing sixth. He added his maiden Formula One podium with third place at the Canadian Grand Prix, holding off championship leader Oscar Piastri.
Mid-season setbacks, including retirements at Imola, Spain, and Austria, were offset by flashes of pace. He finished runner-up in both the São Paulo sprint and Grand Prix, holding off Max Verstappen in the closing laps to secure his best Formula One result to date. In Las Vegas, a fourth-place on-track finish became his third podium of the year after both McLarens were disqualified. His three podiums, including two second places, marked the strongest rookie season for a Mercedes driver in decades.
Looking ahead, Antonelli is contracted to remain with Mercedes in 2026 alongside George Russell. With the team already focused on the new 2026 regulations, he is positioned as a long-term pillar of the Silver Arrows’ driver lineup, and his rookie results have laid a strong foundation for years to come.
