Kimi Antonelli - Brother AU

e 2015 Trofeo Easykart Italia in the 60 cc class,[16] progressing to win the Easykart International Grand Final that year from twenty-second on the grid;[17] he also placed thirty-first in the WSK Final Cup in 60 Mini.[18] Antonelli entered several major competitions in 2016, achieving top-three finishes in the Italian Cup and Trofeo delle Industrie,[19][20] as well as the WSK Super Master Series in 2017.[21] He won the third round of the Italian Championship that year at Battipaglia.[22] 2018–2019: International success as a Mercedes Junior Signing to the Mercedes Junior Team in 2018,[note 1] Antonelli won the WSK Champions Cup,[25] South Garda Winter Cup,[26] and ROK Cup International Final in the Mini class that year,[27] as well as finishing runner-up in the Italian Championship.[28] Antonelli progressed to OK-Junior—the premier under-15 international direct-drive karting category—in 2019, winning the South Garda Winter Cup, WSK Super Master Series, WSK Euro Series, WSK Open Cup, and WSK Final Cup, all with Rosberg Racing Academy.[29][17][30][31] He entered his first European and World Championships that year, finishing runner-up to Marcus Amand at the former and fifth at the latter.[32][33] 2020–2021: Dominance in senior classes In 2020, Antonelli progressed to the senior direct-drive OK class, aged 13.[34] Amongst finishing third at the South Garda Winter Cup and runner-up to Nikita Bedrin at the WSK Super Master Series,[35][36] he won the European Championship on his senior class debut aged 14,[34] as well as the WSK Euro Series and Italian Championship,[37] all with Kart Republic. Antonelli retired from the final of the World Championship at Portimão with an injury;[34] he collided with the stationary kart of Maya Weug in wet-weather conditions, suffering a broken left tibia and metatarsus.[38] For his efforts in 2020, Antonelli was named the FIA Karting Rookie of the Year by the CIK-FIA.[34] Returning for the 2021 season, Antonelli moved to the premier KZ gearbox class.[39] Bidding to become the youngest-ever KZ World Champion—a record held by Max Verstappen since 2013—he finished fifteenth after taking pole position for the heats.[40][41][39] He further took pole as a guest driver at Adria in the KZ European Championship.[42] He successfully defended his European Championship in the OK class,[43] dominating the season with five wins from eight rounds,[44] and finished runner-up to Rafael Câmara at the WSK Champions Cup and WSK Super Master Series.[45][46] Upon his graduation to junior formulae, Vroomkart opined that Antonelli's karting career "already [foretold a] classic anthology of a Champion".[39] Formula 4 (2021–2022) 2021: Junior formulae debut Antonelli driving in the 2021 Italian F4 Championship at the Red Bull Ring Antonelli debuted in the 2021 Italian F4 Championship at the Red Bull Ring. Three weeks after he turned 15, Antonelli made his junior formulae debut in the fifth round of the 2021 Italian F4 Championship, driving for Prema at the Red Bull Ring.[47][48] He finished as the highest-placed rookie in his first race and scored four points across the weekend.[49] Antonelli scored further points in the following round at Mugello,[50] before his breakout weekend in the final event at Monza. He finished second-place in race one after a race-long battle with champion-elect Oliver Bearman,[51] and scored additional podiums in races two and three.[52] Antonelli finished tenth in the overall standings after missing the majority of the season,[53] and fourth in the rookies' championship with four wins in the category.[15][54] 2022: Maiden championships and gold medal In preparation for his primary 2022 campaigns, Antonelli contested select rounds of the F4 UAE Championship.[55] He finished third after qualifying on pole position for the non-championship Trophy Round, held in support of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.[56] In the main championship, he was originally set to only contest round three with Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema,[55] but a positive COVID-19 test for Rafael Câmara saw Antonelli replace him in the season-opener for the main team.[57] Antonelli secured three consecutive on-track victories,[58] demoted to third in the latter following a post-race penalty.[59] Also finishing second in race four, Antonelli led the championship after round one; he did not contest the second round, as planned.[60][57] Accumulating a further podium finish in the final race of round three at Dubai—again being penalised from victory—Antonelli ended up eighth in the final standings after contesting two of five rounds.[61][62] Antonelli driving the Tatuus F4-T421 out of the pitlane at Spa-Francorchamps in the 2022 ADAC F4 Championship Antonelli dominated Italian F4 in 2022 with a then-record thirteen victories. In 2022, Antonelli remained with Prema in Italian F4,[63] also co-signed by the Automobile Club d'Italia as a member of ACI Team Italia by virtue of winning the Supercorso Federale in November 2021.[15][64] Antonelli retired from the lead of the season opener at Imola with a gearbox issue, having started on pole position.[65] He received front wing damage after clipping a kerb in race two, and was penalised for a collision with teammate James Wharton in the final race which demoted him from fourth to tenth.[66] His fortunes changed with two wins in the next round at Misano,[67] followed by six consecutive victories at Spa-Francorchamps and Vallelunga which propelled him to lead the standings ahead of Rafael Câmara.[68][69] Further wins at the Red Bull Ring and Monza consolidated his championship advantage,[70][71] and he clinched the title by winning the first race at Mugello.[72] He won the remaining two races of the season,[73] having secured a then-record thirteen victories.[74][75] Antonelli lifting his trophy after winning at Spa-Francorchamps in the 2022 ADAC F4 Championship, between Rafael Câmara and Charlie Wurz Antonelli further claimed the ADAC F4 title, followed by a gold medal at the FIA Motorsport Games. In parallel with his Italian F4 programme, Antonelli also competed in the ADAC Formula 4 Championship with Prema.[76] He seized two victories in the first round at Spa-Francorchamps,[77] before taking all available wins, pole positions, and fastest laps at the Hockenheimring.[78] At the third round in Zandvoort, Antonelli added further consecutive wins in the opening two races before missing out on another clean-sweep by 0.058 seconds in the reverse-grid final race, finishing second to Conrad Laursen in a photo finish.[79] After missing the penultimate event at the Lausitzring with Prema,[80] Antonelli clinched the championship with one race to spare, having taken victory in the first two races during a rain-affected final round at the Nürburgring.[81][82] Following his titles in Italian and ADAC F4, Antonelli represented Team Italy in the Formula 4 Cup discipline of the biennial FIA Motorsport Games at Paul Ricard.[83] After taking pole position, he won both the qualifying and main races whilst driving with a broken left wrist—owing to a collision near the end of qualifying—to take the gold medal and secure Italy's victory in the overall medal table.[84][85][86] He subsequently received a €10,000 grant from chassis manufacturer KC Motorgroup to support his 2023 campaigns.[87] Following the win, Antonelli stated that he experienced "a lot of pain" and "[drove] not properly", adding that he had to take painkillers to continue.[88] Antonelli graduated F4 with 26 wins, 24 pole positions, and 37 podium finishes in 57 appearances, becoming the second-most successful driver in the history of the discipline.[89] Formula Regional (2023) Prior to his main 2023 campaign, Antonelli contested the Formula Regional Middle East Championship with Mumbai Falcons.[90][91] He opened the season with a trio of second-placed finishes across the opening two rounds, propelling him to an early championship lead.[92] He consolidated his advantage with his maiden three Formula Regional wins at the third and fourth rounds in Kuwait and Dubai, respectively.[93][94] Antonelli led title rival Taylor Barnard of PHM by 37 points going into the final round at Yas Marina,[95] where he received a penalty for colliding with Barnard whilst battling for the lead in race one.[96] Antonelli ultimately secured the title with one race to go,[97][98] and took his seventh podium of the season in the final race.[99] Antonelli driving the Tatuus FR-19 at the Red Bull Ring in the 2023 Formula Regional European Championship Antonelli won the Formula Regional European Championship in his rookie season with Prema. Antonelli progressed to the Formula Regional European Championship in 2023, remaining with Prema alongside Lorenzo Fluxá, as well as F4 and karting rival Rafael Câmara.[100][101] Antonelli later expressed that he was still "lacking a bit of experience", so progression to FIA Formula 3 was "a bit early for [him]".[85] Prior to the season, Marcus Simmons of Autosport compared the intrigue surrounding his campaign to the Formula Three debuts of Ayrton Senna, Mika Häkkinen, and Max Verstappen,[102] whilst Salvo Sardina of La Gazzetta dello Sport described him as a "predestinato" (lit. 'predestined').[24] His season started with a second-place on debut at Imola,[103] repeating this feat in both races at Barcelona-Catalunya.[104] A gear selection issue denied his first victory of the season at the Hungaroring,[105] before finally clinching victory in the second race at Spa-Francorchamps, which was marred by the fatal accident of Dilano van 't Hoff.[106][107] Additional wins from pole position at Mugello and Paul Ricard followed for Antonelli, who became the championship leader going into the summer break, ahead of Martinius Stenshorne.[108][109] He earned another podium in race two at the Red Bull Ring following a penalty for Stenshorne,[110][111] before achieving two on-track victories at Monza;[112][113] he was stripped of the win in race one for illegal use of the push-to-pass system.[112] Upon his dominant victory in the second race at Zandvoort—winning by over 12 seconds in mixed-weather conditions after starting eighth—Antonelli clinched the championship.[114][115] He later described the win as "one of [his] best races".[116] Antonelli dedicated his title to Van 't Hoff,[117] and was voted driver of the season by the team principals.[118] He ended the season with five wins from 11 podiums and four pole positions, finishing 39 points ahead of Stenshorne and 61 points ahead of Tim Tramnitz.[119][120] Formula Scout ranked Antonelli as the best driver in junior formulae throughout 2023.[121] FIA Formula 2 (2024) Antonelli qualifying for the 2024 Spielberg Formula 2 round Antonelli (pictured in Spielberg) progressed to FIA Formula 2 with Prema in 2024. Antonelli bypassed the international FIA Formula 3 Championship, progressing directly to FIA Formula 2 in 2024 with Prema, alongside Ferrari Driver Academy member Oliver Bearman.[122][123] Ahead of the season, Antonelli remarked that he "[did not] want to set any expectation [sic]" amidst early rumours of his Formula One prospects for 2025.[124] Prema struggled to adapt to new regulations utilising ground effect,[125][126] with Antonelli claiming a single point at the season-opener in Sakhir after finishing fourteenth in the sprint race and tenth in the feature, ahead of Bearman in both races.[127][128] He secured a pair of sixth-placed finishes the following round in Jeddah.[129] After qualifying second in Melbourne,[130] he spun into the gravel whilst making up places in the reverse-grid sprint,[note 2] before battling with Dennis Hauger for the lead of the feature, where he ultimately finished fourth.[132][133][134] Antonelli again finished fourth in both the Imola feature and Monaco sprint,[135][136] ending the latter weekend seventh in the feature.[137] After placing outside of the points in Barcelona and Spielberg,[126] Antonelli sat ninth in the standings halfway through the season; Toto Wolff commented that Mercedes were unfazed by his results and that "a champion needs to be thrown in the cold water".[138] Antonelli leads the sprint race of the 2024 Silverstone Formula 2 round on "extreme wet" tyres Antonelli took his maiden F2 victory at the rain-affected Silverstone round. Antonelli qualified tenth at Silverstone, putting him on pole for the rain-affected sprint.[139] After three safety cars and a red flag, Antonelli secured his maiden win and podium in his eighth F2 round.[140][141][142] He retired from the feature, following a first-lap collision with Kush Maini.[143][144] In Budapest, a gamble on option tyres saw him lead the majority of the sprint, but forced him to make an unscheduled pit stop after a loss of tyre performance.[145][146] The following day, Antonelli took his first feature race victory after starting seventh on the grid, elevating him to sixth in the standings.[147][148] He finished sixth in the curtailed Spa-Francorchamps sprint after an award-winning overtake on Franco Colapinto into Eau Rouge,[149][150] before finishing ninth in the feature following a slow pit stop;[151] he then received a ten-place grid penalty—for Prema's usage of dry ice as a cooling agent—which applied at the Monza sprint,[152] where he was involved in a multi-car collision.[153] He placed fourth in the feature, following a contentious battle with teammate Bearman.[154][155] Antonelli missed out on his maiden pole position by seventeen-thousandths of a second in Baku,[156] finishing seventh in the sprint and third in the feature, after contact with Zane Maloney in the latter.[157][158][159] He retired from both races in Lusail, subsequent to a collision with Maini in the sprint and Richard Verschoor in the feature,[160][161] the latter released unsafely into his path in the pit lane.[162] Antonelli withdrew from the season-ending round at Yas Marina with illness, finishing the season sixth in the standings on 113 points with two victories from three podiums, 38 ahead of teammate Bearman in twelfth.[163][164] Formula One career In April 2019, Mercedes announced that Antonelli had joined their Junior Team.[note 1] On 17–18 April 2024, Antonelli conducted his first two-day test with the team, driving the W12 at the Red Bull Ring;[165][166] he completed further private tests in the W13 at Imola, Silverstone, Barcelona-Catalunya, and Spa-Francorchamps.[167] Following a new rule that re-allowed drivers to hold an FIA Super Licence at the minimum age of 17,[168][169] Antonelli was rumoured to replace Logan Sargeant at Williams midway through the 2024 season;[170] Mercedes denied the move, instead recommending Mick Schumacher for the position.[171][172] Antonelli made his free practice debut at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix, taking part in the first session in George Russell's W15.[173] He set the fastest lap before he spun at the Curva Alboreto corner 10 minutes into the session,[174][175] colliding with the tyre barrier at 52 g (510 m/s2; 1,700 ft/s2).[176][11] Toto Wolff defended Antonelli after the crash,[177] whilst Mark Hughes of Motor Sport compared his free practice debut to that of Tazio Nuvolari.[178] Antonelli entered another free practice session at the Mexico City Grand Prix,[179][180] where he finished twelfth after again ending his session prematurely—sustaining floor damage whilst running over a piece of debris.[181][182] He featured alongside Russell in the post-season test at Yas Marina,[183] completing 62 laps and setting the fifth-fastest time overall.[184] He then completed a two-day test in the W11 at Jerez.[185] Mercedes (2025–present) 2025: Maiden podium in rookie season Antonelli driving the Mercedes W16 at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix Antonelli (pictured at the Japanese Grand Prix) debuted in Formula One with Mercedes in 2025, aged 18. Antonelli signed for Mercedes in 2025, replacing Lewis Hamilton to partner George Russell on a one-year contract.[186] With his debut at the Australian Grand Prix, he became the first Italian driver to compete in Formula One since Antonio Giovinazzi in 2021,[187][188] the first Mercedes rookie since 1954,[189] as well as the third-youngest driver in Formula One history at 18 years and 203 days old;[186] he qualified sixteenth with floor damage before climbing to fourth in the rain-affected Grand Prix,[190] making several on-track overtakes and an opportune pit stop for intermediate tyres to become the second-youngest points-scorer in Formula One history and the highest-placed debutant since 2014.[191][192] After finishing seventh on his sprint debut in China, he clinched sixth in the main race after disqualifications for both Ferrari drivers, having sustained floor damage again due to debris.[193][194] He qualified and finished sixth in Japan, where he became both the youngest driver to lead a race and to set a fastest lap in Formula One history.[195] He also became the third driver to achieve three consecutive top-six finishes from debut, after Jackie Stewart (1965) and Lewis Hamilton (2007).[196] Antonelli qualified fourth for the Bahrain Grand Prix—demoted to fifth with a grid penalty for a team error—before dropping outside the points on a three-stop strategy, finishing eleventh.[197][198] He finished sixth in Saudi Arabia amidst tyre wear concerns with the W16.[199] Antonelli walking past the barriers towards a marshal post after retiring from the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Antonelli retired from his local Emilia Romagna Grand Prix with a throttle issue, one of four retirements in his mid-season. On pole position for the Miami Grand Prix sprint,[200] Antonelli dropped to seventh in wet conditions after a first-corner incident with Oscar Piastri and a pit lane collision with Max Verstappen;[201] he qualified third and finished sixth in the main race following an ill-timed virtual safety car.[202] Suspension upgrades for his local Emilia Romagna Grand Prix contributed to high-speed instability,[203] where he qualified thirteenth before retiring with a throttle issue whilst running in eighth.[204] A barrier collision at the Nouvelle Chicane in Monaco saw him qualify fifteenth, before ending up last of the finishers on an alternate strategy.[205] He again retired from the Spanish Grand Prix due to an oil pressure loss in seventh.[206] By finishing third at the Canadian Grand Prix, holding off championship-leader Piastri, Antonelli became the third-youngest podium finisher in Formula One history as teammate Russell won.[207][208] He crashed into Verstappen on the first lap in Austria at Ams Ag, locking his rear brakes and forcing both drivers' retirements;[209] he subsequently received a three-place grid penalty for the British Grand Prix, where he started tenth before being rear-ended by Isack Hadjar and retiring with diffuser damage.[210] Seventeenth in the Belgium sprint, he qualified eighteenth for the Grand Prix, where he climbed to sixteenth after starting in the pit lane.[211][212] Antonelli driving the Mercedes W16 at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix Antonelli (pictured at the Italian Grand Prix) achieved three podiums and became the highest-scoring rookie in Formula One history. Mercedes reverted to their old rear suspension for the Hungarian Grand Prix in a bid to boost Antonelli's confidence,[213] where he finished tenth after starting fifteenth following a track limits violation in qualifying.[214] He climbed from eleventh to sixth at the Dutch Grand Prix before receiving back-to-back penalties for a collision with Charles Leclerc and speeding in the pit lane, demoting him to sixteenth.[215] At his first home Grand Prix in Italy, he qualified seventh—0.043 seconds behind Russell—before a slow start dropped him to tenth; initially recovering to eighth, he received a penalty for forcing Alexander Albon off-track and lost a position;[216] Toto Wolff described his performance as "underwhelming".[217] He qualified fourth in Azerbaijan,[218] where he battled and passed Liam Lawson for third before being overcut by Russell.[219] Mercedes rebounded in Singapore, where Antonelli finished fifth from fourth on the grid as Russell won.[220] Eighth in the United States sprint, he qualified seventh for the Grand Prix before Carlos Sainz Jr. collided with and dropped him outside the points.[221] Starting sixth in Mexico City, he climbed to fourth in the opening laps before being ordered to cede position to Russell as a counter to the advancing Piastri, who—alongside Verstappen—later passed both in the pit window and Russell returned sixth to Antonelli.[222] He clinched second in the São Paulo sprint in a race-long battle for the lead with Lando Norris, prior to his maiden front-row start in the Grand Prix, where he held off Verstappen in the closing laps for another second-place;[223] Luke Slater of The Daily Telegraph praised his rookie-season improvements and noted it as "the first weekend where he thoroughly out-performed Russell".[224] Heavy rain in Las Vegas saw Antonelli qualify seventeenth, before a second-lap stop for hard-compound tyres elevated him to fourth, fending off Piastri and Leclerc on fresh tyres; he initially dropped to fifth with a false start penalty, but claimed another podium after Piastri and Norris were disqualified.[225] Sixth in the Qatar sprint, Antonelli finished fifth in the Grand Prix after passing Russell and conceding fourth to championship-leader Norris in the closing laps;[226] he received death threats on social media upon unfounded speculation by Red Bull that he let Norris past.[227] In Abu Dhabi, he qualified fourteenth and finished in fifteenth.[228] 2026: Youngest polesitter and maiden win Antonelli standing on top of his car with his fist in the air after winning the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix Antonelli became the youngest polesitter before taking his maiden victory at the Chinese Grand Prix in 2026. Antonelli was confirmed to remain at Mercedes, alongside George Russell, for their 2026 "masterplan".[229] Widely expected by insiders and bookmakers to be a contender amidst new power unit and chassis regulations, Mercedes emerged as the leading constructor over Ferrari with a superior energy recovery system on the W17.[230][231][232][233] In Australia, a battery-hampered start dropped Antonelli from second to seventh before he caught the lead trio and capitalised on a Ferrari strategy miscue to complete a 1–2 finish for Mercedes.[234] Following a fifth-place in the China sprint ensuing a slow start and a penalty for colliding with Isack Hadjar, Antonelli became the youngest polesitter in Formula One history, eclipsing Sebastian Vettel by nearly two years; he withstood an early Ferrari charge and won the main race by five seconds over Russell, further becoming the second-youngest Grand Prix winner and the first Italian victor in two decades.[235][236] Another slow start dropped him from pole to sixth in Japan, after which he capitalised on a well-timed safety car to lead and pulled a 13-second margin over Oscar Piastri to become the youngest World Drivers' Championship leader.[237] Other racing Marco Antonelli driving the Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo in the 2022 International GT Open at the Red Bull Ring Antonelli won his debut sportscar race at the 2023 Italian GT3 Championship, driving the Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo (same chassis pictured in 2022). In May 2023, Antonelli debuted in sportscar racing, competing for his father's AKM Motorsport outfit in the opening round of the Italian GT3 Championship at Misano, driving the Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.[15] He won the first race from pole position, before securing third-place in race two with a final-corner overtake on eventual champion Jens Klingmann.[238][239] Antonelli tested the GT3 Evo at Imola the following year.[240] Antonelli was initially set to take part in a Super Formula post-season test in December 2024, driving the Dallara SF23 alongside Prema teammate Oliver Bearman at Suzuka;[241] he later withdrew from the test due to illness.[163] Other ventures Antonelli appeared in a cameo role as Matteo in the sports drama film Italian Race[a] (2016),[242] which won four awards at the Nastro d'Argento.[243] He co-founded the kart racing team AKM Motorsport by Kart Republic alongside his father in 2023, where he serves as a driver coach and chassis tester.[244][245] He is the subject of a short documentary film, The Seat (2025), directed by Kyle Thrash and distributed by Netflix, which documented his promotion to Mercedes for 2025.[246] Personal life Antonelli smiling in a white Mercedes hat Antonelli at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix Antonelli selected the number 12 as his personal number in Formula One, citing inspiration from his idol, Ayrton Senna;[247] he also used the number throughout his 2022 and 2023 title-winning seasons in junior formulae.[248] He passed his driving test six weeks before his Formula One debut,[249][250] and continued studying online for his maturità through the first half of his rookie season.[196] Antonelli was given a GT 63 S by Mercedes-AMG that year, but is unable to drive it in Italy for three years as its power-to-weight ratio exceeds national limits for new drivers six-fold.[251] He received a limited-edition GT 63 PRO in January 2026 and crashed it a month later near his home in Serravalle, San Marino; he escaped unharmed.[252][253] From 2023 to 2026, Antonelli was in a relationship with Czech kart racer Eliška Bábíčková, who won the OK class of the Italian Karting Championship in the former year and is the sister of 2022 W Series driver Tereza Bábíčková—who competed against him in karts.[254][16][255] His racing helmet uses a base colour of Savoy blue, with green, white, and red details, inspired by the national colours of Italy.[256] He has stated that he aspires to reach the success of fellow Italian sportsmen Jannik Sinner and Valentino Rossi.[257] He supports the local association football and basketball clubs Bologna and Virtus Bologna, respectively, and was appointed the ambassador of Italian sport for San Marino by the Congress of State; he served as a torchbearer ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics.[258][259][260][261]