Who is Kimi Antonelli? New F1 driver, 18, who has replaced Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes
PRESSURE in Formula 1 doesn’t get bigger than trying to succeed the legacy of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
But Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has placed his trust in 18-year-old wonderkid Kimi Antonelli to be the man to fill the biggest boots of all.
The rising Italian F1 star has risen to prominence following a dominant resume in all forms of karting and junior competition.
He won consecutive titles at the direct-drive Karting European Championship in 2020 and 2021 and then the 2022 Italian F4 Championship.
Antonelli was also a gold medallist at the 2022 FIA Motorsport Games for Italy.
Though the well-trodden path for a young driver into F1 is usually coming through Formula 2 as a champion, Antonelli’s talent clearly overshadowed his two wins in 26 starts with Prema.
Antonelli becomes the 98th Italian driver in F1 history – the first Italian in Mercedes history and the third-youngest driver in Formula 1 history.
Born into racing – infinity with F1 royalty
Antonelli’s father, Marco, was a long-serving driver who prompted his son’s first steps into the world of motorsport from a young age.
The Bologna native was encouraged to pursue a career in football, but was life on the race track was all he thought of.
Antonelli, whose full name is Andrea Kimi Antonelli – middle-name namesake of Kimi Raikkonen – like many drivers grew up idolising Ayrton Senna.
The Brazilian icon sparked Antonelli’s passion in the sport and has gone on to take his number 12 – a number Senna raced with in the burgeoning start of his career.
Antonelli has made an incredible start to the 2025 season, gaining TWELVE places to finish FOURTH in his debut race in Australia – after qualifying way down in 16th.
He then qualified in eighth in China and gained two spots to finish sixth.
The teenager currently sits in 5th in the Drivers’ championship, ahead of Lewis Hamilton.
Relationship with Wolff
Antonelli often describes Wolff as “like a second father” to him and that’s because for much of his life he has been.
The pair’s relationship first started when Wolff first noticed Antonelli’s talent during his karting days around 11 years old.
A year later, he signed for the Mercedes Junior Team and made the relationship more formal.
“I signed with the Mercedes Academy in Monaco 2018, Wolff invited me and my father. And I remember with emotion seeing the FP1 next to Totò inside the box,” he told Gazzetta last year.
“I have a great relationship with him, he’s like a second father to me, he even scolded me recently because I was a bit naughty.”
On Wolff’s side, when it came to choosing Antonelli as a successor for Hamilton, he said it took him just “five minutes.”
Off the track
Away from being the brand new face in global motor racing, Antonelli has made other ventures away from the car.
He appeared in a cameo role as Matteo in the sports drama film based on a rally driver Italian Race in 2016.
And when he’s not racing, his acting as a co-founder for the kart racing team AKM Motorsport by Kart Republic alongside his father which he joined in 2023 – serves as a driver coach and chassis tester.
After all, it’s in his blood.