Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the young Italian racing prodigy, has taken the motorsport world by storm with his meteoric rise through the ranks. As a member of the Mercedes Junior Team since 2019, he has already secured a Formula 1 seat with Mercedes for the 2025 season, replacing the legendary Lewis Hamilton. While his karting dominance and single-seater successes are well-documented, there are several lesser-known aspects of his life and career that reveal the depth of his journey.
Here are five lesser-known facts about Andrea Kimi Antonelli that showcase his unique path to Formula 1 stardom.
1. His middle name “Kimi” was inspired by a family friend, Not Kimi Räikkönen
One of the most intriguing aspects of Antonelli’s identity is his middle name, “Kimi,” which has often led fans to assume a connection to the 2007 Formula 1 World Champion, Kimi Räikkönen. However, Antonelli has clarified that this is not the case. His father, Marco Antonelli, a former sportscar racing driver and team owner, chose the name “Kimi” at the suggestion of a family friend, Enrico Bertaggia, a former Italian racing driver. Marco wanted a distinctive, non-Italian name to pair with “Andrea,” and “Kimi” was selected for its uniqueness rather than as a tribute to Räikkönen.
2. His father initially wanted him to pursue football
While Antonelli’s destiny seems firmly tied to motorsport, his early path could have been very different. His father, Marco, initially hoped his son would pursue a career in football, a sport deeply ingrained in Italian culture. Marco encouraged young Andrea to play football, envisioning a future in the sport rather than on the racetrack. However, Antonelli’s passion for speed and racing emerged early, sparked by his exposure to karting at the age of seven. This shift in interest, supported by his father’s eventual acceptance and guidance, set the stage for his remarkable motorsport career.
3. He co-founded a karting team with his father
Beyond his achievements as a driver, Antonelli has shown an entrepreneurial side by co-founding AKM Motorsport by Kart Republic with his father in 2023. This karting team, based in San Marino, serves as a platform for nurturing young talent, with Antonelli actively involved as a driver coach and chassis tester. This venture highlights his deep connection to karting, where he won multiple titles, including back-to-back Karting European Championships in 2020 and 2021. His role in the team demonstrates a commitment to giving back to the sport that launched his career, offering insights and mentorship to the next generation of racers.
4. He learned English through racing travels
Antonelli’s fluency in English, a critical skill for an international racing career, is not the result of formal education alone but rather a byproduct of his extensive travels in motorsport. Born and raised in Bologna, Italy, he attended ITCS Gaetano Salvemini in Casalecchio di Reno, where he studied international relations and marketing. However, specific details about his academic achievements are limited. Instead, Antonelli honed his English skills during race weekends and international karting events, immersing himself in the global racing community.
5. He Suffered a significant injury during his karting career
Antonelli’s karting career, while overwhelmingly successful, was not without its challenges. In 2020, during his first season in the senior direct-drive OK class, he suffered a significant injury at the Karting World Championship in Portimão, Portugal. In wet-weather conditions, Antonelli collided with the stationary kart of fellow racer Maya Weug, resulting in a broken left tibia and metatarsus. This forced him to retire from the race and sidelined him temporarily. Despite this setback, his resilience shone through as he returned in 2021 to defend his European Championship title in the OK class, dominating with five wins from eight races.