Brief overview of Kimi Antonelli’s career in motorsport

Although he is only 18 years old, Kimi Antonelli has made major waves in the motorsport world. Antonelli had a monumental career in karting, where he was able to secure back to back victories in 2020 and 2021. Antonelli has been a member of the Mercedes Junior Team since 2019. The young Italian does come from some racing legacy with his father being Marco Antonelli, who is a renowned sportscar racing driver.

Antonelli made his first Formula 1 debut at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix during one of the free practice sessions. Despite having limited experience in an F1 car, Antonelli was announced to be the seven time world champion, Lewis Hamilton’s replacement at Mercedes for the 2025 Formula 1 season. The young driver would be partnering George Russell and is predicted to perform quite well within the team. 

Kimi Antonelli's age, family and early life

Born on August 25th, 2006, Kimi Antonelli is currently 18 years old, making him the youngest driver on the current Formula 1 grid when he joins Mercedes for the 2025 F1 season. Like many of the other drivers on the grid, Antonelli’s love for the sport began when he was nine years old.

Kimi Antonelli grew up in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, home of the infamous F1 track based in Imola. Although he goes by ‘Kimi’, his full name is Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli’s father, Marco Antonelli, is a famous sportscar racing driver as well as the owner of the San Marino racing team, AKM Motorsport who have taken part in the Italian F4 Championship since 2022.

Marco Antonelli has said that he originally wanted his son to play association football in Italy before putting him into karting. Kimi clearly displayed much more passion for motorsport which is how he decided to continue pursuing racing. 

Start of Kimi Antonelli's F1 journey

Kimi Antonelli will be joining the Formula 1 grid in 2025 after Mercedes announced the young Italian as their second driver alongside George Russell. Antonelli began his racing career in 2014 where he started Karting at the age of seven. He was very successful in several categories and was scouted by Giovanni Minardi after Antonelli attended a summer camp with the Automobile Club d’Italia in 2014. Giovanni Minardi signed him to Minardi Management and helped Antonelli progress through the racing world. 

Antonelli signed to the Mercedes Junior Team in 2018. In that year, the young Italian won the WSK Champions Cup,South Garda Winter Cup, and the ROK Cup International Final in the Mini class, not to mention that he finished runner-up in the Italian Championship. Antonelli quickly progressed through the ranks and was in the senior direct drive OK class at the age of 13. In 2020, Antonelli was named the FIA Karting Rookie of the Year by the CIK-FIA. 

Antonelli continued to race in Karting up until 2021. He moved to the premier KZ gearbox class and became the youngest-ever KZ World Champion, which was originally held by Max Verstappen. Once Antonelli turned 15, he made his junior formulae debut. He raced for Prema and drove in the fifth round of the 2021 Italian F4 Championship at the Red Bull Ring. He was the highest placing rookie in his first race of the season. The young driver ended up finishing in tenth place overall in the championship, despite missing the majority of the early season. 

In 2022, Antonelli raced in certain rounds of the F4 UAE Championship. Antonelli was dominant in the car, despite only contesting two of five rounds. He ended up finishing in eighth position in the standing after accumulating two podium finishes.

Antonelli stayed with Prema for the 2022 F4 Italian Championship season. The Italian driver had a stellar season, dominantly leading the championship and collecting numerous podium finishes. Antonelli secured his championship title by winning one of the races at Mugello, three weekends before the season finale. 

Along with his Italian F4 championship, Antonelli also drove in the ADAC Formula 4 Championship with Prema. Antonelli displayed his dominance on track and was able to clinch the championship at the Nürburgring. After winning both the ADAC F4 Championship and the F4 Italian Championship, Antonelli represented Team Italy in the Formula 4 Cup of the biennial FIA Motorsports Games which were held at Circuit Paul Ricard. He secured the Gold Medal and received a €10,000 grant from KC Motorgroup, which is a chassis manufacturer. Antonelli became the second-most successful driver in the history of F4 with his 26 wins, 24 pole positions, 37 podium finishes and 57 appearances. 

In 2023, Antonelli raced in the inaugural F3-level Formula Regional Middle East Championship with the Mumbai Falcons. He had a successful season and led the championship by 37 points before the final round which was held at the Yas Marina Circuit. Antonelli secured the championship title and claimed seven podiums in the season. In that same year, Antonelli also raced in the Formula Regional European Championship in 2023 where he drove with Prema, partnering Lorenzo Fluxá and Rafael Câmara. 

Like many other drivers, Kimi Antonelli progressed from Formula 3 into Formula 2. He stuck with Prema and drove alongside his teammate, Oliver Bearman. Unlike his earlier Formula racing career, Antonelli seemed to struggle in the FIA F2 Championship. He had a plethora of races which ended without any points secured, definitely contributing to his lack of competitiveness for the F2 Championship title. Antonelli ended up finishing in sixth place in the standings after collecting two victories, three podiums, four fastest laps and a total of 113 points. 

In April of 2024, Antonelli completed his first test with Mercedes where he drove the W12 at the Red Bull Ring. He later made his F1 debut in September during a free practice session for the 2024 Italian Grand Prix. He set the fastest lap before prematurely ending his session due to him losing control and crashing at the Curva Alboreto corner. Antonelli had another shot in a free practice session during the Mexico City Grand Prix. He finished in P12 but then had to come into the garage early because of damage to the car. 

Mercedes announced Kimi Antonelli as the second driver for the 2025 season alongside George Russell. The young driver is replacing Lewis Hamilton who is driving for Ferrari for the 2025 Formula 1 season. 

Notable moments and races in Kimi Antonelli's career

Kimi Antonelli has had quite the career in motorsport despite his young age. Throughout 2014 - 21, Antonelli focused on his Karting career where he was able to pick up many accolades. Antonelli really exceeded during the years of 2018-2019 with him winning the WSK Champions Cup, South Garda Winter Cup, ROK Cup International Final, WSK Super Master Series, WSK Euro Series, WSK Open Cup, WSK Final Cup, and lastly, the young Italian secured the win in the Rosber Racing Academy.

When Antonelli moved on to the Formula racing series, he really found his form and made a mark on the sport. Antonelli competed in the ADAC F4 Championship in 2022 where he clinched the championship title, still having one race left to spare. Similarly, he dominated in the 2022 F4 Italian Championship where he had secured thirteen victories in the season, claiming the championship title ahead of the final two races. 

Paying homage to his home country, Antonelli represented Team Italy in the Formula 4 Cup discipline of the biennial FIA Motorsport Games at Paul Ricard. He drove with a broken wrist, but was still able to secure a victory for Italy while also receiving a €10,000 grant from KC Motorgroup. Antonelli moved on from F4 after leaving his mark on the category. In his time racing in F4, he had secured 26 wins, 24 pole positions, and 37 podium finishes, all within his 57 appearances. This makes him only the second-most successful driver in the history of the discipline. 

Following suit, Antonelli also secured the title championship in the Formula Regional Middle East Championship where he raced with Mumbai Falcons. In that same year, he also raced the Formula Regional European Championship and was able to clinch his championship title in Zandvoort. 

Antonelli has since been announced as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement at Mercedes for the 2025 Formula 1 season where the young Italian will partner the British driver, George Russell. 

Kimi Antonelli’s height: How tall is Kimi Antonelli?

Despite being the youngest driver to be joining the Formula 1 grid, Kimi Antonelli is not the shortest! The young driver stands at a height of 5 ‘6 feet (1.72 meters), which puts him right in the middle of the pack in relation to the other F1 drivers on the current grid. 

Training for Formula 1 drivers usually consists of rigorous strength training, cardio, endurance exercises and reflex training, all to maintain their fitness and stamina for when they get behind the wheel. 

Kimi Antonelli's net worth

Kimi Antonelli’s official net worth has not been confirmed, but it is suspected to be a substantial amount. 

Despite his net worth not being confirmed, his Formula One salary, bonuses, sponsorships and endorsements all contribute to a significant income. 

Kimi Antonelli's helmet design and its significance

Kimi Antonelli has stuck with a very similar helmet design for the majority of his racing career. He features the colors of the Italian flag, paying homage to his home country. He also includes notes of blue around the helmet, which has been noted as the Italian’s favorite color. 

There are also stars surrounding the helmet, being accompanied by his racing number and AKA, which stands for Andrea Kimi Antonelli. 

It is unclear whether the young driver will continue with this helmet design leading into his Formula 1 career. 

Kimi Antonelli’s relationship status: Who is Kimi Antonelli’s girlfriend?

Kimi Antonelli is currently dating Eli Bábíčková. Bábíčková is from the Czech Republic and has also dabbled in racing. 

It is unclear how long the couple has officially been together, but the two have shared posts on social media, confirming their relationship.

It is also important to note that personal relationships can change quickly. 

Future prospects for Kimi Antonelli in Formula 1

With his incredible Junior career, there is no doubt that Kimi Antonelli’s future in motorsport is sure to be successful. The young Italian driver has accomplished so much and it is expected that he will produce solid results for Mercedes when he joins the team in 2025 to partner with George Russell.