Kimi Antonelli

Andrea Kimi Antonelli was born on August 25, 2006, in Bologna, Italy. Named partly after the legendary Kimi Räikkönen, Antonelli showed prodigious talent from the moment he first sat in a kart. He dominated the Italian and European karting scene, winning multiple championships as a junior and catching the attention of the Mercedes junior programme at a remarkably young age.

Antonelli's ascent through single-seater racing was breathtakingly fast. He won the Italian F4 Championship and the ADAC F4 Championship in 2022, both in his first year of car racing. In 2023, he skipped Formula 3 entirely and went straight to the Formula Regional European Championship, where he dominated against older and more experienced competitors.

His promotion to Formula 2 in 2024 continued his rapid rise. Despite being by far the youngest driver in the field, Antonelli showed frontrunning pace and race-winning ability. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had seen enough — Antonelli was confirmed as George Russell's teammate for 2025, replacing the departing Lewis Hamilton.

Making his F1 debut at just 18 years old, Antonelli became one of the youngest drivers in modern F1 history. His natural car control, racing intelligence, and ability to process vast amounts of information during a race have been compared to the very best. While his youth means there is still development to come, the raw talent is undeniable.

Antonelli carries the hopes of Italian motorsport fans worldwide, representing the first Italian driver at a top team in years. His calm, methodical approach to racing belies his age, and Mercedes view him as a cornerstone of their future. The partnership with Russell gives Mercedes two young, hungry drivers capable of leading the team back to championship glory.