Kimi Antonelli career: timeline and key facts

Andrea Kimi Antonelli is an Italian racing driver who drives for Mercedes in Formula 1. Born on 25 August 2006 in Bologna, he won the 2026 Drivers' Championship aged 20 years and 68 days, the youngest world champion in the sport's history, in only his second season.

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Key facts

Full name	Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Born	25 August 2006, Bologna, Italy (age 20)
Nationality	Italian
Team	Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (since 2025)
Team-mate	George Russell
Car number	12
F1 debut	2025 Australian Grand Prix (4th from 16th on the grid)
First F1 win	2026 Chinese Grand Prix, from pole
World titles	1 – 2026 Drivers' Champion, clinched in Mexico City on 1 Nov 2026
2026 wins	9 (as of 5 Nov 2026, season still running)
2025 result	7th, 150 points (rookie record)
Contract	Mercedes, until at least the end of 2027

Career timeline: karting to world champion

2006 Born on 25 August in Bologna, Italy.
2014–2019 Kart racing in Italy and Europe; Mercedes junior (announced April 2019); 2019 runner-up in the European OK-Junior championship.
2020–2021 CIK-FIA European champion in senior OK karting, twice; 2020 FIA Karting Rookie of the Year. Chapter 1: European OK Championship
2022 Italian F4 (13 wins) and ADAC F4 champion with Prema; FIA Motorsport Games F4 Cup gold for Italy. Chapter 2: Italian F4 with a rookie record
2023 Formula Regional Middle East and Formula Regional European champion. Chapter 3: Zandvoort, wet: the title decider
2024 Formula 2 with Prema: 6th, wins at Silverstone (sprint) and Hungaroring (feature). Confirmed at Mercedes for 2025 on 31 August. Chapter 4: Australia: from 16th to 4th
2025 Rookie F1 season with Mercedes: 4th on debut in Australia, first podium in Canada, 7th overall with a record 150 rookie points. Chapter 5: Canada: the first podium
2026 Youngest polesitter and first win in China; nine wins including Monaco and Monza; world champion in Mexico City on 1 November, aged 20. Chapter 6: China: record pole and first win

FAQ

How old is Kimi Antonelli?

Kimi Antonelli is 20 years old. He was born on 25 August 2006 in Bologna, Italy. He made his Formula 1 debut aged 18 at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix and won the 2026 world title aged 20 years and 68 days, the youngest champion in the sport's history.

His full name is Andrea Kimi Antonelli; he races under his middle name, Kimi.

What nationality is Kimi Antonelli?

Kimi Antonelli is Italian. He was born in Bologna and grew up in nearby Casalecchio di Reno, in Emilia-Romagna. In 2026 he became the first Italian Formula 1 World Champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953, and only the third Italian champion after Giuseppe Farina and Ascari.

He also won his home race, the 2026 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

What is Kimi Antonelli's car number?

Kimi Antonelli races with number 12. He chose it as a tribute to his idol Ayrton Senna, who used 12 at Lotus and in his first title season with McLaren in 1988. Antonelli also used 12 in junior single-seaters and was 12 when he joined the Mercedes junior programme.

After winning the 2026 title he said he will keep number 12 rather than switch to number 1 in 2027.

What team does Kimi Antonelli drive for?

Kimi Antonelli drives for the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, alongside George Russell. Mercedes confirmed him on 31 August 2024 as Lewis Hamilton's replacement for 2025, after Hamilton's move to Ferrari. He has been part of the Mercedes junior programme since childhood and is contracted to the team until at least the end of 2027.

He is the first graduate of the Mercedes junior programme to win the World Championship.

Is Kimi Antonelli the youngest F1 world champion?

Yes. Kimi Antonelli clinched the 2026 Drivers' Championship with third place at the Mexico City Grand Prix on 1 November 2026, aged 20 years and 68 days. That beat Sebastian Vettel's 2010 record by more than three years. He is also the first champion born in the 21st century.

He won the title with four rounds still to run, in only his second Formula 1 season.

How did Kimi Antonelli get to F1?

Through karting and a fast junior career. He was European OK karting champion in 2020 and 2021, won the Italian and ADAC F4 titles in 2022, both Formula Regional titles (Middle East and Europe) in 2023, then finished 6th in Formula 2 in 2024 before Mercedes promoted him to Formula 1 for 2025.

He skipped the FIA Formula 3 Championship, jumping straight from Formula Regional to Formula 2 with Prema.

Did Kimi Antonelli race in Formula 3?

No. Antonelli never raced in the FIA Formula 3 Championship. After winning the 2023 Formula Regional European and Middle East titles, both F3-level series, he moved directly to Formula 2 with Prema in 2024. He won two F2 races that year, the Silverstone sprint and the Hungaroring feature, and finished 6th.

He was the first European since Alain Prost in 1979 to win multiple F3-level titles in a single year.

When did Kimi Antonelli win his first F1 race?

Antonelli's first Formula 1 win came at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, from pole position. That pole made him the youngest polesitter in championship history, aged 19 years and 202 days. He went on to win nine Grands Prix in 2026, including Monaco, Monza and the United States Grand Prix.

His 2026 wins: China, Japan, Miami, Canada, Monaco, Belgium, Italy, Spain and the USA (as of 5 November 2026).

How did Kimi Antonelli do in his rookie F1 season?

In 2025, his rookie season with Mercedes, Antonelli finished 7th with 150 points, the most ever scored by a driver in his first championship season. His first podium was 3rd at the Canadian Grand Prix, followed by 2nd in São Paulo and 3rd in Las Vegas. He also became the youngest driver to lead a race.

On his debut in Australia he started 16th and finished 4th.

Is Kimi Antonelli named after Kimi Räikkönen?

No, according to Antonelli himself. He has said the name Kimi was suggested to his father by Enrico Bertaggia, because his father wanted a foreign name after Andrea, and that he was not named after Kimi Räikkönen. His full name is Andrea Kimi Antonelli, but he is known as Kimi.

Source: his own statements quoted on Wikipedia.

Play his career

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Sources

Facts checked on 5 November 2026 against Wikipedia, formula1.com, the Mercedes-AMG F1 team site and Guinness World Records. Note: 2026 points are approximate; the season was still in progress on 4 Nov 2026.