Andrea Kimi Antonelli is one of the elite young drivers on the rise towards Formula 1, so here is everything you need to know about the Mercedes driver academy prospect.
The Silver Arrows snapped Antonelli up for their driver programme whilst he was still racing in go-karts in 2019. Mercedes saw great potential in the youngster after dominating several categories and later helped Antonelli hastily move into single-seaters after his 15th birthday.
Mercedes’ Formula 1 team principal Toto Wolff played a key role in the Silver Arrows signing Antonelli to their driver programme. He also worked with James Vowles during the Williams team principal’s run as Mercedes’ F1 strategy director and in charge of their driver academy.
Mercedes signed Andrea Kimi Antonelli to their driver academy in 2019
Antonelli caught Mercedes’ eye in karting after taking his first title in only his second season in 2015. He first started racing at seven years old and won his first title in the Easy 60 class in the Trofeo Easykart Italia. Antonelli even won the Easykart International Grand Final in 2015.
Rising the ranks between 2016 and 2017 delivered less success but Antonelli still challenged for honours in the 60 Mini class, including a third-place finish in the 2017 WSK Super Master Series. He then struck a dominant streak in 2018 and continued to lead the way in go-karts.
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Antonelli tasted 60 Mini class success in the WSK Champions Cup and Mini ROK honours in the South Garda Winter Cup plus the ROK Cup International Final. A move to the team that Nico Rosberg owns in 2019 also led to five OKJ class titles, including in the WSK Euro Series.
Another change in team to join KR Motorsport also led Antonelli to lifting back-to-back CIK-FIA European Championship titles in 2020 and 2021. Then, with Mercedes’ backing, a move to single-seaters arrived in 2021 and soon yielded further silverware over the 2022 season.
Giancarlo Minardi and his son Giovanni were quick to point Antonelli out to Wolff after the pair saw his potential rise to the fore in go-karts. His aggression and ability to produce quick laps straight away in both dry and wet conditions were the foundations of his emerging skill.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli has dominated in go-karts and single-seaters
Antonelli then took his skills into single-seaters as soon as he was eligible after turning 15 in 2021. He even tasted success in Antonelli’s first full season in 2022 by winning an Italian and ADAC Formula 4 championship double. The Mercedes protégé dominated both series, too.
Prema powered Antonelli to 13 wins in 20 races in Italian F4 and nine wins in 15 races in the ADAC F4 championship. The Italian team also took him to a Formula Regional European title in 2023, as Antonelli even won the Formula Regional Middle East title with Mumbai Falcons.
Mercedes and Prema even took Antonelli to Formula 2 in 2024, skipping a year in Formula 3. He replaced fellow Silver Arrows prospect Frederik Vesti after the Dane missed out on the F2 title to Theo Pourchaire by 11 points. Antonelli enjoyed his F2 debut at the 2024 Bahrain GP.
But who really is Antonelli and what has been said about the Mercedes academy driver with a future on the Formula 1 grid? F1 Oversteer has looked into everything you need to know…
Who is Andrea Kimi Antonelli?
Andrea Kimi Antonelli is a racing driver and is a member of the Mercedes driver academy. He is currently competing in the FIA Formula 2 championship with Prema as a rookie in 2024.
How old is Andrea Kimi Antonelli? What is the Mercedes academy driver’s age?
At the time of writing, Andrea Kimi Antonelli is only 17 years old. He was born on August 25, 2006 and is the son of Italian race car driver, Marco Antonelli. His dad also gave Antonelli his middle name, Kimi, as he was a supporter of the 2007 F1 drivers’ champion, Kimi Raikkonen.
Who is Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s dad, Marco Antonelli?
Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s father, Marco Antonelli, is the owner and also team principal of AKM Motorsport, which has raced and succeeded in various categories. Marco has also raced in a mix of GT categories under an FIA bronze licence but has seldom had success as a driver.
AKM Motorsport has tasted successes in the Italian GT Championship, Porsche Carrera Cup Italy, Lamborghini SuperTrofeo (Pro-Am) and the Italian GT Cup. The team, which previously operated as Antonelli Motorsport, has even competed in rally racing and hill climb events.
Marco’s racing career, meanwhile, started in 1986 and saw him race in DTM and the Super Touring championship. But his attentions turned to creating a team of his own in 1993 with an outfit in San Marino. AKM Motorsport changed names in 2020 when it entered karting.
Where was Andrea Kimi Antonelli born?
Andrea Kimi Antonelli was born in Bologna – the same city in northern Italy where his father Marco Antonelli was born. Bologna is also the historic capital of the Emilia Romagna region. Bologna has a population within the city’s boundaries of around 390,000 residents in 2024.
How tall is Andrea Kimi Antonelli? What is his height in feet?
Measuring in at 1.72 metres tall, Andrea Kimi Antonelli stands at a height of 5 ft 7 in feet.
How good is Andrea Kimi Antonelli? What’s been said about him?
Andrea Kimi Antonelli is widely seen as Italy’s next great hope for a Formula 1 driver and has even drawn praise from MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi. The seven-time MotoGP champion-turned-sportscar driver has a lot of respect for Antonelli, having trained together in go-karts.
“I’m very happy to know Kimi because, on paper, he can be the future Italian hope in F1,” Rossi told Formula Scout in October 2023. “So, we stay a bit together sometimes and he is a great guy I like a lot, we enjoy.”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has also flooded praise at Antonelli’s feet, calling him an ‘immense’ talent after dominating his early seasons in single-seaters. Karun Chandhok has also voiced his surprise at how quickly Antonelli can adapt to new cars and tricky conditions.
Chandhok told The Fast and the Curious in February 2024 after Antonelli tested F3 cars: “He was something like seven or eight seconds a lap faster than the other drivers. I went back and chatted with some of the engineers and they just could not believe how good he was.
“He’s 17. He’s a teenager. Honestly, I parked up on the way out and watched a few laps. This kid was sensational. I texted James Vowles from there because James sort of mentored Kimi since go-karts. I went ‘This kid is amazing’ and he said ‘Yeah, I’ve been telling you for years’.”
Williams team principal James Vowles also has ‘no doubt’ that Antonelli is destined to drive in Formula 1. Mark Hughes of The Race also reported in February 2024 that Wolff considers Antonelli to be the ‘next Max Verstappen’ and many in the Mercedes factory share his view.
Antonelli has also impressed Ralf Schumacher with his rise through the junior single-seater categories. The former Jordan, Williams and Toyota Formula 1 driver firmly sees Antonelli as a star for the future, having won several junior titles since graduating from go-karts in 2021.
“It was impressive how Kimi has swept through the junior classes so far,” Schumacher told Auto Bild in December 2023. “You definitely have to have him on your radar and follow his career intensively.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s junior single-seater career stats
Andrea Kimi Antonelli has tasted success in single-seaters from his first year out of go-karts in 2021. The Italian entered his national F4 championship from the fifth of seven rounds as he was not eligible to race in it until after his 15th birthday, which fell in the summer break.
Yet despite only doing a bit-part season, Antonelli still finished 10th in Italian F4 in 2021. He scored 54 points as Oliver Bearman won the title on 343 from 11 wins in 21 races. Antonelli won the Italian F4 title in his first full season in 2022 with 13 wins in 20 races for 362 points.
2021 Italian F4 Championship: 9 races, 0 wins, 0 poles, 3 podiums
2022 Italian F4 Championship: 20 races, 13 wins, 14 poles, 15 podiums
2022 ADAC F4 Championship: 15 races, 9 wins, 7 poles, 12 podiums
2022 F4 UAE Championship: 8 races, 2 wins, 1 pole, 5 podiums
2023 Formula Regional Middle East Championship: 15 races, 3 wins, 3 poles, 7 podiums
2023 Formula Regional European Championship: 20 races, 5 wins, 4 poles, 11 podiums
The post Everything you need to know about Mercedes academy driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli appeared first on F1 Oversteer.
