Kimi Antonelli Bio
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, known professionally as Kimi Antonelli, is an Italian racing driver born on 25 August 2006 in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. He currently competes in Formula One for Mercedes, where he drives the No. 12 car and partners George Russell. Recognized as one of the most promising young talents in motorsport, Antonelli rose through karting and junior single-seater categories before reaching the top tier of open-wheel racing at the age of 18. His middle name was inspired by Finnish former Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen, though the name was chosen long before Antonelli’s racing career began.
Early Life and Background
Antonelli was born into a family with deep ties to motorsport. His father, Marco Antonelli, is a sportscar racing driver and the founder of Antonelli Motorsport, established in 1993. Marco also owns AKM Motorsport, a San Marino–based racing team that has competed in the Italian F4 Championship since 2022. His mother, Veronica Antonelli, has worked in motorsport since 1997, helping Marco operate the family team. Antonelli has a younger sister named Maggie.
Although his father initially wanted him to play association football, Antonelli showed a stronger passion for motorsport from an early age. He attended ITCS Gaetano Salvemini in Casalecchio di Reno, where he studied international relations and marketing, and learned English during his race weekends. After attending a summer camp run by the Automobile Club d’Italia in 2014, he was scouted by Giovanni Minardi, the son of former Formula One driver Giancarlo Minardi, who signed him to Minardi Management.
Path to Formula One
Antonelli began karting at the age of seven and quickly rose through the ranks. He won his first title at the 2015 Trofeo Easykart Italia in the 60 cc class, then progressed to compete in major international events. In 2018, he signed with the Mercedes Junior Team and dominated the OK-Junior class in 2019. He claimed back-to-back direct-drive European Championship titles in 2020 and 2021 before graduating to single-seater racing.
In 2022, Antonelli won both the Italian F4 and ADAC Formula 4 Championships with Prema, recording a then-record 13 victories in Italian F4. He also represented Italy at the FIA Motorsport Games, winning a gold medal in the Formula 4 Cup while driving with a broken left wrist. In 2023, he captured both the Formula Regional Middle East and Formula Regional European Championships, and in 2024, he raced in FIA Formula 2 with Prema, finishing sixth overall with two victories.
Kimi Antonelli Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
Antonelli made his junior formulae debut in the fifth round of the 2021 Italian F4 Championship with Prema at the Red Bull Ring, just three weeks after turning 15. He finished as the highest-placed rookie in his first race and went on to score four wins in the category despite missing much of the season. He finished tenth in the overall standings and fourth in the rookies’ championship.
In 2022, Antonelli committed to a full campaign in both Italian F4 and ADAC F4 with Prema. He won the Italian F4 title with 13 victories, including six consecutive wins at Spa-Francorchamps and Vallelunga. In ADAC F4, he clinched the championship with one race to spare at the Nürburgring, capping a dominant year that also included a gold medal for Italy at the FIA Motorsport Games.
Formula 4 Breakthrough (2022)
Antonelli’s 2022 season marked his arrival as a leading talent in junior single-seaters. He opened the Italian F4 campaign at Imola before stringing together a series of dominant performances, including double wins at Misano, Spa-Francorchamps, and Vallelunga. By the time he clinched the title at Mugello, he had rewritten the series record book. In ADAC F4, he was equally commanding, sweeping the Hockenheim round and adding further victories at the Nürburgring to secure the championship.
Formula Regional Breakthrough (2023)
Antonelli entered the Formula Regional Middle East Championship with Mumbai Falcons and won the title with one race to spare at Yas Marina. He then moved to the Formula Regional European Championship with Prema, where he won five races and claimed the championship at Zandvoort with a victory margin of more than 12 seconds. He finished the season 39 points ahead of Martinius Stenshorne and was voted driver of the season by the team principals. Formula Scout ranked him as the best driver in junior formulae throughout 2023.
FIA Formula 2 (2024)
Antonelli bypassed FIA Formula 3 to race directly in FIA Formula 2 with Prema in 2024. Despite a difficult adaptation period under new ground-effect regulations, he secured his maiden victory in the Silverstone sprint race and added a feature-race win in Budapest. He finished the season sixth in the standings with 113 points and two victories, 38 points clear of teammate Oliver Bearman.
Mercedes Era (2025–Present)
Antonelli was promoted to Mercedes for the 2025 Formula One season, replacing Lewis Hamilton to partner George Russell. At the Australian Grand Prix, he became the third-youngest driver in Formula One history and the second-youngest points-scorer. He achieved his maiden podium at the Canadian Grand Prix and became the youngest driver to set a fastest lap in Formula One at the Japanese Grand Prix. After a mid-season run of retirements, his form improved later in the year, highlighted by back-to-back second-place finishes in Brazil and a podium in Las Vegas following post-race disqualifications. He is contracted to remain with Mercedes through at least the end of 2026.
Driving Style and Strengths
Antonelli is known for his adaptability in mixed-weather conditions and his composure under pressure. His breakthrough performances in rain-affected races at Silverstone and São Paulo highlighted a calm race-craft ability beyond his years. Working alongside teammate George Russell, he has developed a measured approach to tyre management and strategic execution, often maximising results through opportunistic pit-stop calls.
Notable Races and Milestones
Signature moments include his F2 sprint win at Silverstone, his dominant Zandvoort victory in Formula Regional, and his Canadian Grand Prix podium in Formula One. His back-to-back second-place finishes at the São Paulo Grand Prix marked the first weekend in which he clearly outperformed his more experienced teammate, drawing praise from media observers.
Kimi Antonelli Career Wins
Antonelli has compiled an impressive record across karting, junior single-seaters, and Formula One. In 2022, he won both the Italian F4 and ADAC F4 titles, and in 2023, he added the Formula Regional Middle East and Formula Regional European crowns. He finished sixth in the 2024 FIA Formula 2 Championship with two victories, and in 2025, he secured his first Formula One podium at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Formula Regional Highlights
Antonelli claimed the 2023 Formula Regional European Championship with five wins and 11 podiums, capping the season with a commanding performance at Zandvoort. He also won the 2023 Formula Regional Middle East Championship with one race to spare, securing the title with seven podium finishes across the campaign.
Other Wins and Performances
In karting, Antonelli won back-to-back direct-drive European Championship titles in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, he added a gold medal for Italy at the FIA Motorsport Games and became a race-winner in the Italian GT3 Championship with AKM Motorsport. He has been a member of the Mercedes Junior Team since 2019.
Kimi Antonelli Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Antonelli comes from a motorsport family with deep roots in Italian racing. His father, Marco Antonelli, is a sportscar racing driver and the founder of Antonelli Motorsport and AKM Motorsport. His mother, Veronica, has supported the family racing operation since 1997. Antonelli co-founded the kart racing team AKM Motorsport by Kart Republic with his father in 2023, where he serves as a driver coach and chassis tester.
Personal Life
Antonelli has been in a relationship with Czech kart racer Eliška Bábíčková since October 2023. He selected the number 12 as his personal racing number, citing inspiration from his idol Ayrton Senna. He supports Bologna FC 1909 in football and Virtus Bologna in basketball, and he has stated that he aspires to reach the sporting success of fellow Italians Jannik Sinner and Valentino Rossi.
2025 Season Performance
Antonelli’s 2025 rookie campaign began with a fourth-place finish at the Australian Grand Prix, the highest debut result since 2014. He recorded three consecutive top-six finishes in the early rounds and became the youngest driver to set a Formula One fastest lap at the Japanese Grand Prix. A mid-season stretch brought several retirements, including a throttle issue at Imola, an oil-pressure loss in Spain, and a first-lap collision with Max Verstappen in Austria.
His form rebounded strongly in the final third of the season. He finished third at the Canadian Grand Prix for his maiden podium, and produced back-to-back second-place finishes at the São Paulo Grand Prix, a performance widely regarded as the first weekend in which he outpaced teammate George Russell. A podium at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, awarded after McLaren disqualifications, confirmed his upward trajectory.
With Mercedes committing to retain him alongside Russell for 2026, Antonelli’s rookie season has laid a foundation for continued growth. The team’s investment in car development and his measured adaptation to the demands of Formula One suggest a promising outlook as the squad transitions to new technical regulations.