Who is Kimi Antonelli?

Andrea Kimi Antonelli is an Italian racing driver born in Bologna, Italy, on August 25, 2006 (age 17) and started his racing career at the age of seven when he competed for the first time in the Trofeo Nazionale — 60 Baby, finishing in 6th.

Kimi is the son of Marco Antonelli, a race car driver and the owner and team principal of AKM Motorsport, which competes in multiple racing disciplines, like the International GT Open and Porsche Supercup, among others.

At the age of 17th, Kimi is part of the Mercedes Junior Team program and competes in the 2024 Formula 2 Championship.

Kimi has been part of the Mercedes Junior Team since 2019 (age 11) and is currently one of the potential candidates to take the Mercedes seat for 2025 with Lewis Hamilton's departure. 

Currently, Kimi focuses on F2, adapting to the new category and car, and then finishing races on podiums consistently to win the Championship. No matter how many wins or podiums, the goal will consistently be winning the championship.

If you want to know more about Kimi's career, we recommend checking our timeline, which goes deep into each championship Kimi has competed.

Antonelli began his karting career at seven years old, achieving success across various levels within the sport. He has clinched victories in several prestigious competitions, including the Easykart International Grand Final (Easy 60), the South Garda Winter Cup, the WSK Champions Cup, the WSK Super Master Series, and the WSK Euro Series. Additionally, he secured the title of CIK-FIA Karting European Champion consecutively in 2020 and 2021.

Kimi became part of the Mercedes Junior Team after Mercedes reached out asking if Kimi wanted to join their program. Andrea has chosen Mercedes over the legendary Ferrari team because he was too young to be part of the Ferrari driver program then. Since then, Mercedes has given Kimi all the support he needed, from training to budget, which has been crucial for his progress over the years. 

In 2021, merely three weeks after celebrating his 15th birthday, Antonelli marked his entry into single-seater racing during the fifth round of the Italian F4 Championship, representing Prema at the Red Bull Ring. His initial foray into the series was met with commendable success, as he distinguished himself as the top rookie in his debut race and amassed four points throughout the weekend. 

Continuing his momentum, Antonelli garnered additional points in the next round at Mugello. However, his most noteworthy performance unfolded during the season's concluding event at the Monza Circuit. Here, Antonelli secured a second-place finish in the first race following an intense competition with the championship frontrunner, Ollie Bearman, and achieved two third-place finishes, culminating his participation on a high note. 

Despite participating in only a fraction of the season, Antonelli concluded the championship in tenth place, narrowly trailing by six points behind Conrad Laursen, a full-time driver for Prema. Furthermore, he clinched fourth place in the rookies' championship, accumulating four victories within the category.

In 2022, continuing his association with Prema, the Italian racer competed in the Italian F4 series alongside teammates Charlie Wurz, Conrad Laursen, and Ferrari Academy drivers James Wharton and Rafael Câmara. The season commenced on a challenging note for Antonelli, who encountered a gearbox malfunction while leading the opening race at Imola, forcing him to retire with only five laps remaining. 

His difficulties persisted in Race 2, where damage to his front wing, caused by contact with a curb, impacted his performance. Additionally, a collision with teammate Wharton in Race 3 resulted in a penalty that saw him relegated from fourth to tenth place. 

Despite these setbacks, Antonelli's campaign saw a significant turnaround in subsequent events, highlighted by victories at Misano and impressive triple wins at Spa-Francorchamps and Vallelunga. His winning streak continued with additional triumphs at Spielberg and Monza, thereby consolidating his lead in the championship standings. 

Antonelli ultimately secured the championship title by clinching victory in Race 1 at Mugello, marking a remarkable recovery and showcasing his resilience and skill throughout the season.

To lay the groundwork for his principal endeavor in 2022, Antonelli engaged in select events within the Formula 4 UAE Championship, achieving third place in the trophy race associated with the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Initially, his participation in the main series was planned for only the third round. However, unforeseen health complications afflicting Rafael Câmara necessitated Antonelli's substitution for him at the season's commencement. During this unexpected opportunity, Antonelli demonstrated exceptional performance by securing victories in three consecutive races, although a subsequent penalty revoked his win in the last race. With an additional podium in round three, Antonelli concluded the series in eighth place, a commendable achievement considering his participation in less than half of the season's races.

In 2022, alongside his commitments in the Italian F4 series, Antonelli also competed in the ADAC Formula 4 Championship. He achieved immediate success by securing two wins in the opening round at Spa-Francorchamps, setting the stage for his remarkable performance in the season. His dominance was further underscored in the second round at Hockenheim, where he achieved a clean sweep by winning all races, securing all pole positions, and recording the fastest laps in each race. 

Continuing his impressive form, Antonelli excelled at Zandvoort in the third round, claiming both pole positions and recording the fastest laps in two races. He also secured victories in the initial two races. A narrow miss by a mere 0.058 seconds in the reverse grid Race 3 prevented a complete hat-trick of wins, with the victory going to his teammate, Conrad Laursen instead.

Despite his absence from the penultimate event at the Lausitzring, Antonelli's earlier performances ensured he clinched the championship title with a race to spare. His triumph was ultimately sealed in a challenging final round at the Nürburgring, where he won the first two races despite adverse weather conditions, demonstrating his skill and resilience.

In October 2022, the announcement was made that Antonelli would be the representative for Team Italy in the F4 Cup category at the FIA Motorsport Games. Demonstrating remarkable resilience and skill, Antonelli emerged victorious in both the qualifying round and the main race, an impressive feat achieved despite competing with a fractured left wrist. This injury was the result of a collision that occurred towards the conclusion of the qualifying session, yet it did not deter him from securing top honors in the competition.

Prior to embarking on his primary racing commitments for the year 2023, Antonelli participated in the Formula Regional Middle East Championship, representing Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited. Demonstrating exceptional performance throughout the series, Antonelli clinched the championship title, securing his victory ahead of Taylor Barnard from PHM Racing, with one race remaining in the season.

For the 2023 season, Antonelli's progression to the Formula Regional European Championship was officially announced, with him continuing his partnership with Prema. His victory in the second race at the Zandvoort circuit enabled him to secure the championship title mathematically, thus becoming the third driver to win the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, following in the footsteps of predecessors Grégoire Saucy and Dino Beganovic.