WHO IS ANDREA KIMI ANTONELLI
Andrea Kimi Antonelli was born on 25 August 2006 in Bologna. In 2026, at the end of his second season in the top category, he became Formula 1 World Champion, becoming the youngest ever to do so. He is the third Italian, after Farina and Ascari, to win the title.
THE ANTONELLI FAMILY
Antonelli - who is nicknamed AKA due to the initials of his name and surname - grew up in a family with traditions in the motoring world: he is in fact the son of Marco Antonelli, car driver and owner of AKM Motorsport, a team that races in several GT championships.
THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME AND THE FAILURE TO CONNECT WITH FERRARI
His first name is not linked, as one might easily imagine, to the Finnish driver and former Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen, but to a simple choice of his parents, dictated by the fact that "it sounded good with the surname"
VICTORIES IN THE MINOR SERIES
Antonelli was twice European karting champion in the OK category (in 2020 and 2021). He won the ADAC Formula 4, the Italian Formula 4 and the FIA Motorsport Games in the Formula 4 category in 2022, the Formula Regional Middle East and the European Formula Regional in 2023. And in 2024 he competed in F2.
LANDING IN FORMULA 1
The turning point comes in 2024: with the announcement of Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari, AKA - already in the Mercedes youth program for some time - is promoted by Toto Wolff as the starting driver of the German team.
THE DEBUT IN FI
Antonelli's career in Formula 1 thus began in 2025, with the Australian Grand Prix: on that occasion the then 18-year-old Italian driver finished in fourth place. The first season in the top category is understandably marked by ups and downs.
THE FIRST PODIUMS IN F1
In any case, at the wheel of a Mercedes that was not competitive enough to fight for titles, he took home three podiums in his first season: a third place in Canada, a second in Brazil and a third in Las Vegas.
A SENSATIONAL 2026
2026 opens under totally different auspices: also thanks to the newfound competitiveness of Mercedes with the new regulatory cycle, on his debut in the World Championship Antonelli obtained the fourth podium of his career in Melbourne. Seven days later he took pole in China, making him the youngest ever to start from first position on the grid at 19 years, six months and 18 days.
THE YOUNGEST POLEMAN
With this pole Antonelli beats the record held by Sebastian Vettel, which had stood since 2008, becoming the first Italian to take first place after 17 years: the last Italian driver to do so was Giancarlo Fisichella, during the 2009 Belgian GP.
THE FIRST VICTORY IN F1
And after obtaining pole, Antonelli reaches his definitive consecration in Formula 1, obtaining his first success at the wheel of Mercedes in the 2026 Chinese GP.
THE TRICOLOR IN FIRST POSITION
With the triumph on the Shanghai circuit, Antonelli brought Italy back to success in the Formula 1 World Championship after almost two decades: it was in fact 19 March 2006 when the then 33-year-old Giancarlo Fisichella won over Renault in the Malaysian GP. That day Antonelli had not yet been born.
SERIES VICTORIES
The first triumph in Formula1 at the Chinese GP did not turn out to be an episode: in fact, Antonelli also won the following four races, taking himself to the top of the Drivers' Championship and starting to build a lead that would prove to be unbridgeable.
THE TRIUMPH OF MONZA
Over the course of the season, his victory in Monza became legendary: starting in 19th position, Antonelli recovered to cross the finish line in first position at the Italian GP.
ADVANTAGE MANAGEMENT
After winning 8 races in the first part of the season, including the legendary Monaco GP, Antonelli is good at managing the advantage in a second half of the World Championship that proves to be less dominant for Mercedes.
THE FIRST MATCH POINT
Thanks to the extraordinary season he experienced, Antonelli has his first chance to become F1 World Champion already in Austin, with five more races still to be held on the calendar. The driver from Bologna wins the US Grand Prix, but Lewis Hamilton's fourth place and George Russell's eighth place prevent him from winning the title on the first match point.
THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP VICTORY
This brings us to the Mexican Grand Prix, where Andrea Kimi Antonelli becomes Formula One World Champion. At the age of 20, he is the youngest titleholder in the history of F1 and the third Italian to win the laurel.
AKA RECORDS
In Formula 1, Antonelli set several precocity records: he was the youngest driver to win a pole position and, after triumphing in China, also the youngest Italian driver to win a race valid for the World Championship. And finally, he became the youngest World Champion in F1 history.
THAT BRIEF PARENTHESIS ON THE CINEMATIC SCREENS
Not only a pilot, but also an actor: Kimi appeared in a cameo in the film Veloce come il vento by Matteo Rovere. A film, in its own way, prophetic.
