Kimi Antonelli Bio, Age, Education, Girlfriend, F1 Career & Net Worth

Who is Kimi Antonelli? | Biography

Kimi Antonelli is an Italian Formula 1 driver and the 2026 world champion, racing for Mercedes alongside George Russell. His full name is Andrea Kimi Antonelli, although he uses his middle name professionally. Born in Bologna, Italy, he grew up around motorsport through his father, professional racing driver Marco Antonelli. His biography traces his route from European championship karting to a Mercedes race seat and Formula 1’s youngest world title.

Mercedes signed Antonelli to its junior programme in April 2019, when he was 12. Two European karting championships followed before he switched to single-seater racing with PREMA. He won both Italian and German Formula 4 championships in 2022. The following season brought Formula Regional titles in the Middle East and Europe. Those results encouraged Mercedes to support a direct move into Formula 2, bypassing the FIA Formula 3 Championship entirely.

In 2024, Antonelli won Formula 2 races at Silverstone and Budapest while preparing for a much larger promotion. Mercedes selected him to replace Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 season. However, racing commitments did not end his education. He completed his school exams in June 2025, shortly after taking his first Formula 1 podium in Montreal, Canada. His rookie campaign produced three podium finishes and seventh place in the drivers’ championship.

His breakthrough season arrived in 2026, beginning with a maiden Grand Prix victory in Shanghai, China. Further wins included a home triumph at Monza after starting nineteenth. On November 1, third place in Mexico secured his first world championship. At 20 years and 68 days, he surpassed Sebastian Vettel’s record as Formula 1’s youngest champion. The result also made him Italy’s first drivers’ world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953.

Kimi Antonelli Age | How Old is Kimi Antonelli?

Kimi Antonelli is 20 years old, having been born on August 25, 2006, in Bologna, Italy. He celebrates his birthday on August 25. He was 18 when he made his Formula 1 racing debut in March 2025.

Kimi Antonelli Height | How Tall is Kimi Antonelli?

Kimi Antonelli stands approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall, or 172 centimeters. The imperial measurement rounds his listed metric height to the nearest inch.

Kimi Antonelli Education

Kimi Antonelli attended Istituto Gaetano Salvemini in Casalecchio di Reno, near Bologna. He completed his final school exams in June 2025. His studies continued through junior racing and his first Formula 1 season. When travel prevented classroom attendance, teachers sent lesson materials, while classmates helped him keep pace. His mother, Veronica, also encouraged him to finish his education. After reaching the Canadian Grand Prix podium, he returned to studying instead of extending the celebrations.

He completed the examinations before the Austrian Grand Prix weekend. Antonelli described finishing school as a relief because it allowed him to concentrate fully on racing. He remained enrolled in a public school, with teachers adapting support around his sporting schedule. His classmates also visited the Imola paddock during his first home Grand Prix weekend.

Kimi Antonelli Girlfriend | Relationship With Eliška Bábíčková

Kimi Antonelli previously dated Eliška Bábíčková, a Czech karting racer who announced their breakup in February 2026. Their relationship lasted slightly more than two years, covering his Formula 2 campaign and first Formula 1 season. Bábíčková explained that their personal priorities and expectations for the future had moved apart. She said she ended the relationship and rejected claims that another person had caused the separation. Her public statement confirmed the breakup without providing a detailed account of their private disagreements. She also said she would not discuss the separation further.

Kimi Antonelli Family | Parents, Sister, and Early Life

Kimi Antonelli’s parents are Marco Antonelli and Veronica, and he has a younger sister named Maggie. Marco raced sports cars, giving his son early access to racing environments. One childhood visit became a particularly memorable family story. At Hockenheim in 2014, Marco hid seven-year-old Kimi inside stacked tyres on a trolley to enter the paddock. An umbrella helped conceal him before a family friend arranged a pass.

Antonelli later recalled exploring the pit lane for about an hour. Away from those early adventures, his family kept school commitments alongside his sporting ambitions. Veronica insisted that racing success should not remove the requirement to complete his final examinations. Meanwhile, his father shared another major milestone: they were together when Toto Wolff called about joining Mercedes’ junior programme.

Kimi Antonelli Career | From Karting to Mercedes

Kimi Antonelli built his career through karting, PREMA’s junior teams, and Mercedes’ driver development programme. In 2019, he won the WSK Euro Series and Super Master Series at OK-Junior level. He also finished runner-up in the European karting championship. Back-to-back European titles in the senior OK category followed in 2020 and 2021. PREMA then introduced him to Italian Formula 4 during the closing stages of 2021.

PREMA remained his team through Formula 4, Formula Regional, and Formula 2, providing continuity during his rapid progression. Mercedes supported his development before selecting him for its works Formula 1 team. Team principal Toto Wolff and driver development adviser Gwen Lagrue helped oversee his rise. The programme gave Mercedes years of evidence about his development before Hamilton’s departure created a vacancy alongside Russell for 2025.

Kimi Antonelli Junior Championships | Formula 4 and Formula Regional

Antonelli won four major junior championships across 2022 and 2023, establishing his credentials before Formula 2. His first full Formula 4 season included campaigns in Italy and Germany. Across those two championships, he collected 22 victories from 35 starts. That record showed sustained performance across a season rather than one exceptional race weekend. He also won Formula 4 gold at the 2022 FIA Motorsport Games, adding an international achievement beyond the domestic championships.

In 2023, he advanced to Formula Regional and won the Middle East championship with three victories. His European campaign brought five wins and six additional podium finishes. He secured the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine title at Zandvoort with two races remaining. Winning immediately after moving categories strengthened the case for another promotion. Instead of spending 2024 in FIA Formula 3, he joined the Formula 2 field directly. PREMA provided continuity, but the faster machinery and stronger opposition made the move a substantial step. Antonelli acknowledged that challenge before testing and stressed the importance of learning the new car.

Kimi Antonelli Formula 2 | Silverstone and Budapest Wins

Antonelli contested the 2024 Formula 2 Championship with PREMA, finishing sixth during his only season in the category. His opening races brought regular points, although a first victory took longer. The breakthrough arrived during Silverstone’s rain-soaked Sprint Race. Starting from reverse-grid pole, he controlled difficult conditions and finished eight seconds ahead of Zane Maloney. That margin made the result a clear demonstration of his wet-weather pace.

Budapest presented a different challenge. In Saturday’s Sprint, an aggressive early approach helped him take the lead before his tyres lost performance. Sunday’s Feature Race offered a chance to respond. Antonelli used a Safety Car period to make his strategy work and claimed victory ahead of Victor Martins. The two wins showed different strengths: controlling a wet race and converting a longer race through strategy. They also arrived while Mercedes assessed its options for Hamilton’s replacement. Antonelli later participated in opening practice at Monza, bringing his Formula 2 season alongside direct Formula 1 experience. Mercedes announced his promotion on August 31, 2024.

Kimi Antonelli Mercedes Debut | His 2025 Rookie Season

Antonelli made his Formula 1 race debut at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix, finishing fourth for Mercedes. He entered the championship as its third-youngest race starter. Replacing Hamilton meant joining a team accustomed to championship expectations, while Russell provided an experienced reference inside the garage.

Miami delivered another milestone when Antonelli qualified first for the Sprint. That result made him the youngest driver to take an F1 pole position of any kind. It was a Sprint pole, distinct from pole for Sunday’s Grand Prix. His first Grand Prix podium followed in Canada, where he finished third. Later, he added podiums in São Paulo and Las Vegas. He ended the season with 150 points and seventh place in the drivers’ standings.

The season also included difficult stretches and retirements, making it a learning year alongside the standout results. Mercedes retained Antonelli and Russell for 2026, confirming the pairing on October 15, 2025. That decision gave Antonelli a second season with the same team after completing his rookie campaign.

For his car number, Antonelli chose 12 partly because of Ayrton Senna, whom he admired through archive race footage. Senna used that number during his first championship season in 1988. Antonelli had also raced with 12 when he started single-seaters. The choice connected his own early career with a driver he regarded as an inspiration.

Kimi Antonelli 2026 World Championship | China, Monza, and Mexico

Kimi Antonelli won the 2026 Formula 1 drivers’ championship, securing the title at the Mexican Grand Prix on November 1. His campaign had gathered momentum much earlier. On March 15, he won the Chinese Grand Prix after taking his first Grand Prix pole. He briefly lost the lead to Hamilton before reclaiming it on the second lap. Antonelli then finished ahead of Russell, becoming Formula 1’s second-youngest Grand Prix winner behind Max Verstappen.

Victories in Japan, Miami, Canada, and Monaco followed, producing five consecutive Grand Prix wins. However, Monza supplied one of the season’s most striking results. An engine penalty left him nineteenth on the grid for the Italian Grand Prix. He recovered through the field and passed Russell late in the race to win. The result ended Italy’s wait for a home winner at Monza stretching back to Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966.

Mexico required a different approach, with the championship within reach. Antonelli started fourth and managed an extended opening stint on soft tyres. A red flag interrupted the race, and he resumed fourth before overtaking Charles Leclerc to regain third. That podium sealed the championship at 20 years and 68 days. He became the third Italian drivers’ champion, joining Giuseppe Farina and Alberto Ascari. Through the Mexican round, his season included nine Grand Prix victories and 380 championship points.

Kimi Antonelli Salary

$5 million annually was Kimi Antonelli’s estimated Mercedes base salary for 2025, according to Forbes. The publication estimated another $7.5 million in bonuses, bringing his on-track earnings to $12.5 million for that season. Those published figures were estimates in US dollars, rather than publicly released Mercedes payroll records. The total excluded off-track endorsements and did not deduct taxes or agents’ fees. Forbes compiled its estimates using financial documents, legal filings, reporting, and industry sources. The 2025 figures do not establish his Mercedes pay for 2026. Mercedes’ announcement confirmed his place alongside George Russell without detailing his salary or performance bonuses.

Kimi Antonelli Net Worth

Kimi Antonelli has not publicly disclosed his net worth. His documented earnings include Mercedes salary and performance bonuses, but annual income does not establish personal wealth. Forbes’ $12.5 million estimate describes 2025 racing earnings before deductions. It should not become a net worth figure or a verified valuation for 2026.

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