Arabic version: صعود كيمي أنتونيلي من المرآب إلى الفورمولا 1
According to BBC News, Kimi Antonelli’s route to Formula 1 began in the family garage and on kart tracks in Italy. His father Marco, a former driver who ran a racing team with Kimi’s mother Veronica, says his son was around engines from just 15 days old. Now 19 and in his second F1 season, Antonelli is dominating this year’s championship.
Marco first believed his son might have exceptional ability when Kimi was 10. At Adria circuit, after a karting event, Kimi sat on Marco’s lap in a Lamborghini, controlling the steering and gears while his father handled the throttle and brake. Marco said Kimi controlled the car’s oversteer perfectly before he stopped the run because it had become dangerous.
Although Marco initially feared his son could face the disappointments he had experienced in racing, Kimi quickly impressed in karts. The family could fund karting and a year of Formula 4, but not the full route to F1. Mercedes scout Gwen Lagrue visited Italy when Antonelli was 11, after hearing about his performances in a lower-powered kart. Antonelli joined the Mercedes driver academy, easing the family’s financial concerns.
Antonelli moved into cars full-time after 2021 and won across Formula 4 in 2022 before repeating that success in Formula Regional in 2023. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff later identified him as a potential successor to Lewis Hamilton. The team prepared Antonelli for his 2025 debut with more than 20 days of testing in older F1 cars. Mercedes engineering director Andrew Shovlin said the teenager reached the limit quickly, while his errors were generally linked to judgement or experience rather than a lack of talent.
His early F1 experience included a rapid but costly practice debut at Monza in 2024, where he set the fastest time on his first lap before crashing at Parabolica. In his debut season, Antonelli out-qualified George Russell in Jeddah and took sprint pole in Miami, but struggled during a difficult European stretch. Wolff said Antonelli needed to turn things around after another Monza practice crash a year later. Marco said his son gradually rebuilt confidence, and the results now reflect that recovery.
