Kimi Antonelli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kimi Antonelli
Antonelli at the 2025 United States Grand Prix
Born	Andrea Kimi Antonelli (2006-08-25) 25 August 2006 (age 20) Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Parent(s)	Marco Antonelli (father)
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Italian
Car number	12
Entries	5 (5 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	38
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	1
First entry	2025 Australian Grand Prix
First win	2026 Chinese Grand Prix
Last win	2026 Spanish Grand Prix
Last entry	2025 Singapore Grand Prix
2025 position	7th (150 pts)
Championship titles
FR European FR Middle East ADAC F4 Italian F4
Medal record Formula racing Representing  Italy FIA Motorsport Games 2022 Le Castellet F4 Cup
Signature

Andrea Kimi Antonelli (born 25 August 2006) is an Italian racing driver. He competes in Formula One for the famous Mercedes team. Antonelli is widely known as one of the most exciting young talents in global motorsport.

He started his racing journey in karting when he was very young. He quickly won many prestigious European titles. After moving into single-seater race cars, he won championships in Formula 4 and Formula Regional.

Antonelli made his Formula One debut in 2025 when he was only 18 years old. He replaced seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. He soon broke several records, becoming the youngest driver to lead a lap and set a fastest lap. In 2026, he took his first race win in China. He went on to lead the World Drivers' Championship standings.

Early life and background

Marco Antonelli, Kimi's father, driving a Mercedes-AMG GT3 car.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli was born on 25 August 2006 in Bologna, a city in northern Italy. Speed and cars were part of his family from the very start. His father, Marco Antonelli, is a racing driver and owner of the AKM Motorsport racing team. His mother, Veronica Pomaro, worked in motorsport administration and helped run the family team. Kimi also has a younger sister named Maggie.

Many people think he was named after the Finnish Formula One champion Kimi Räikkönen. However, his family explained that a close family friend suggested "Kimi" simply because they wanted a catchy foreign middle name.

While growing up, Antonelli attended ITCS Gaetano Salvemini, a technical high school in Casalecchio di Reno. He studied international relations and marketing. Traveling across Europe for races helped him become fluent in English. He later learned German after joining the Mercedes junior program.

His father originally hoped Kimi would play football (soccer). But Kimi fell in love with four wheels instead. He loved watching classic racing videos of his hero, three-time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna. He also admired the legendary Argentine football player Lionel Messi. When he was just nine years old, he got behind the wheel of a real Lamborghini Super Trofeo sports car, with his father controlling the pedals!

Karting career (2014–2021)

First steps on the kart track

Like almost all modern Formula One drivers, Antonelli learned the basics of racing in go-karts. Karts are small, lightweight machines that teach drivers how to handle high speeds and sharp turns. Kimi first drove a kart at Galliano Park in Forlì when he was five years old. By age seven, he was entering official competitions.

In 2014, he attended a summer camp organised by the Automobile Club d'Italia (ACI). Racing experts quickly noticed his exceptional reaction times. Giovanni Minardi, whose family founded the famous Minardi Formula One team, signed the young Italian to his driver management company.

Antonelli moved up to the Easykart 60cc category in 2015. He won the Italian Trophy and won the International Grand Final after starting from 21st place on the grid (starting order). He showed an incredible ability to pass other karts safely in heavy traffic.

Joining the Mercedes junior team

In 2018, Antonelli joined Energy Corse, one of the top kart teams in Europe. He had an outstanding season, winning the South Garda Winter Cup and the WSK Champions Cup in the mini classes.

His speed and discipline caught the eye of Toto Wolff and the Mercedes Formula One team. In 2019, at just 12 years old, Antonelli was signed to the prestigious Mercedes Junior Team. This program provides young drivers with fitness coaching, media training, and engineering education.

He moved into the OK-Junior category with the Rosberg Racing Academy, founded by 2016 F1 World Champion Nico Rosberg. Driving for the academy, Antonelli won six major titles in 2019 alone. These included the WSK Super Master Series, the WSK Euro Series, and the Italian Karting Championship. He also traveled to the United States and won both junior titles in the SKUSA Winter Series with an undefeated record.

Becoming European champion

In 2020, Antonelli made the big jump to senior OK karting at age 13. He drove for Kart Republic. Senior karts are much faster and physically demanding. Even though he was competing against experienced older teenagers and adults, he excelled.

Two weeks after his 14th birthday, Antonelli won the senior Karting European Championship. This made him the youngest senior European champion in history. Later that year at Portimão, Portugal, he crashed in heavy rain during the World Championship final. He suffered broken bones in his left leg. Despite the setback, the international governing body (CIK-FIA) voted him "Rookie of the Year".

Antonelli returned in 2021 to compete in the KZ category, which features karts with six-speed gearboxes. He still had some leg pain while braking hard, but he showed remarkable grit. He successfully defended his European OK Championship title, winning five out of eight rounds. Experts across the motorsport world agreed that Antonelli was one of the brightest talents seen in karting for a generation.

Moving up the junior formula ladder

Formula 4 dominance (2021–2022)

Antonelli driving his Formula 4 car at the Red Bull Ring in 2021.

In single-seater cars, drivers sit in the middle of an open cockpit with exposed wheels. The first step on this ladder is Formula 4 (F4).

Antonelli turned 15 in late August 2021, which was the minimum age required to race single-seaters. Just three weeks later, he made his debut in the 2021 Italian F4 Championship with the winning Prema Powerteam. At the Red Bull Ring in Austria, he finished ninth in his very first race. In the final round at Monza, he took three consecutive podiums (top-three finishes), battling hard against older drivers.

In 2022, Antonelli had an historic year:

• In the F4 UAE Championship in the Middle East, he stepped in as a substitute driver and won two races.
• In the 2022 Italian F4 Championship, he won 13 races, setting a new all-time series record.
• In the German-based 2022 ADAC Formula 4 Championship, he took nine victories and clinched the championship title.

Antonelli celebrating on the podium at Spa-Francorchamps.

At the end of 2022, Antonelli was chosen to represent his country at the 2022 FIA Motorsport Games in France. During qualifying, he suffered a broken left wrist in an accident. Despite severe pain, he chose to race. Using pure determination, he won both the qualifying race and the main race to take home the gold medal for Italy.

Formula Regional triumphs (2023)

Antonelli racing in Formula Regional at the Red Bull Ring.

The next step was Formula Regional, featuring heavier cars with more horsepower and aerodynamic downforce (air pushing the car onto the track to give more grip).

In early 2023, Antonelli raced in the 2023 Formula Regional Middle East Championship for the Mumbai Falcons team. He drove smartly, claiming three victories and seven podiums to win the overall crown.

During the European summer, he drove for Prema in the 2023 Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA). The competition was fierce, with over thirty of the world's best young drivers. Antonelli took big wins at famous tracks like Spa-Francorchamps, Mugello, and Paul Ricard.

In wet and tricky conditions at Zandvoort, Antonelli drove from eighth on the grid to win by over twelve seconds. With that victory, he captured the FRECA championship with a race to spare. He became the first European driver since Alain Prost in 1979 to win two different F3-level championships in a single calendar year.

FIA Formula 2 Championship (2024)

Antonelli competing in Formula 2 during 2024.

Because of his incredible speed, Mercedes and Prema decided that Antonelli should skip the FIA Formula 3 Championship entirely. Instead, he jumped directly into FIA Formula 2 (F2) for 2024. F2 is the final feeder series right below Formula One, featuring 620-horsepower cars. He was partnered with British racer Oliver Bearman.

The season introduced brand-new cars, and Prema struggled early on to find the best setup. Antonelli remained calm and collected valuable championship points in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.

Antonelli leading during a wet race at Silverstone in 2024.

His breakthrough came at a rainy Silverstone in July. In awful weather conditions where many cars spun off, Antonelli controlled his car masterfully. He led every single lap to take his first Formula 2 victory. Two weeks later in Budapest, Hungary, he drove an aggressive race to win the feature race from seventh on the grid.

He finished his rookie F2 season sixth in the championship standings with two race wins and three podiums, proving he had the maturity to manage powerful race cars.

Formula One career

First tests and free practice (2024)

Throughout 2024, Antonelli completed private Formula One tests with Mercedes. He drove older championship-winning cars at circuits like the Red Bull Ring, Silverstone, and Spa-Francorchamps. Engineers were amazed by how quickly he adapted to F1 speeds, which can exceed 200 miles per hour (320 km/h).

During the 2024 Italian Grand Prix weekend at Monza, Antonelli drove in an official F1 Free Practice 1 session for Mercedes. He went out on track and immediately set purple (fastest) sector times. Ten minutes into the session, he pushed slightly too hard at the Parabolica curve and crashed into the barriers. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff hugged him afterward, praising his raw speed and reminding the media that young drivers must push boundaries to learn. Antonelli took part in another practice session at the Mexican Grand Prix later that year.

Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team

2025: Breaking records as a rookie

Antonelli behind the wheel of the Mercedes W16 in Japan.

When seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton moved to Ferrari, Mercedes chose Antonelli to take his seat for 2025. He was paired with experienced British winner George Russell.

Antonelli made his Grand Prix debut at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne at 18 years and 203 days old. This made him the third-youngest driver in F1 history. Starting 16th after qualifying issues, he produced a brilliant drive in mixed wet conditions to finish fourth. He became the second-youngest driver ever to score World Championship points.

Records continued to tumble:

• In Japan, he became the youngest driver in Formula One history to lead a lap and set the fastest lap of a race (18 years, 225 days).
• In Miami, he became the youngest driver to qualify on pole position for an F1 Sprint.
• At the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix, he finished third, becoming the third-youngest podium finisher in F1 history.
• In Brazil, he started on the front row and finished second after holding off world champion Max Verstappen.

Antonelli finished his debut season in seventh place in the drivers' championship with 150 points. That set a new record for the most points scored by a rookie driver in their first season.

Antonelli driving during qualifying for the 2025 Italian Grand Prix.

2026: Championship contender and race winner

Antonelli celebrating his maiden Grand Prix victory in China.

In 2026, Formula One introduced major changes to car engines and chassis aerodynamics. Mercedes built an outstanding car, the W17, featuring an efficient hybrid powertrain.

Antonelli made history at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. He took pole position by edging out his rivals, becoming the youngest polesitter in F1 history at 19 years and 202 days. The next day, he drove a flawless race to take his first Grand Prix victory. He was the first Italian driver to win an F1 race since Giancarlo Fisichella won in 2006.

He followed that with a string of incredible performances:

• He won the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix, taking the lead in the World Drivers' Championship.
• He won in Miami and Canada.
• In Monaco, he took pole position, set the fastest lap, and led every lap to win the race. This clean sweep is called a grand chelem, and Antonelli became the youngest driver ever to achieve one.
• At his home race in Monza, he had to start 19th because of an engine penalty. In front of thousands of passionate Italian fans, he sliced through the field with daring overtakes to win the race. It was the first home win by an Italian at Monza in sixty years!

By September 2026, Antonelli was leading the World Championship, showing poise and tactical skill well beyond his teenage years.

Driving style and personality

Antonelli meeting fans in Australia in 2026.

Engineers and coaches praise Antonelli for his natural car control. He is famous for his gentle steering inputs and his ability to feel the car's grip limits in wet weather. When the track is slippery, his karting experience allows him to find unusual racing lines that have more traction.

Antonelli races with the permanent car number 12. He chose this number to honour his idol, Ayrton Senna, who drove car number 12 for Lotus and McLaren in the 1980s. His helmet design features a distinctive shade of blue (Savoy blue, the traditional colour of Italian national sports teams) decorated with the red, white, and green stripes of the Italian flag.

Out of the car, Antonelli is calm, polite, and hardworking. He managed to finish his high school exams while traveling the globe for Formula One races. When he is not racing, he enjoys watching football and basketball, supporting his hometown teams, Bologna FC and Virtus Bologna. He also enjoys learning about modern architecture and graphic car design.

Key racing achievements

Junior championship titles

• 2019: CIK-FIA WSK Euro Series Champion (OK-Junior)
• 2020: CIK-FIA European Karting Champion (OK)
• 2021: CIK-FIA European Karting Champion (OK)
• 2022: Italian Formula 4 Championship Champion
• 2022: ADAC Formula 4 Championship Champion
• 2022: FIA Motorsport Games Formula 4 Cup Gold Medalist
• 2023: Formula Regional Middle East Champion
• 2023: Formula Regional European Champion

Formula One records held

• Youngest driver to lead a lap: 18 years, 225 days (2025 Japanese Grand Prix)
• Youngest driver to set a fastest lap: 18 years, 225 days (2025 Japanese Grand Prix)
• Most points scored in a rookie season: 150 points (2025)
• Youngest polesitter: 19 years, 202 days (2026 Chinese Grand Prix)
• Youngest World Drivers' Championship leader: 19 years, 216 days (2026 Japanese Grand Prix)
• Youngest driver to score a grand chelem: 19 years, 286 days (2026 Monaco Grand Prix)

Racing record

Racing career summary

Images for kids

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  Antonelli driving his Prema F4 car out of the pit lane at Spa-Francorchamps

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  Antonelli competing at the Hockenheimring during his 2023 championship season

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  The Mercedes-AMG GT3 car used in sports car endurance events

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  Antonelli at the Red Bull Ring during the 2026 Formula One championship

See also

In Spanish: Andrea Kimi Antonelli para niños