The countdown is almost over for the first lights-out at Albert Park Circuit in Australia, where Kimi Antonelli will make his Formula 1 debut.
Racing in Formula 1 has been a lifelong dream nurtured with the warmth and support of the most important people in the 18-year-old from Bologna’s life: his father Marco, mother Veronica, and younger sister. This Sunday, at Melbourne’s Albert Park Circuit, that shared hope within the Antonelli family will finally materialize. Kimi Antonelli will officially debut in the pinnacle of motorsport as a full-time Mercedes driver, alongside British teammate George Russell.
The news—delivered via a video call last summer with Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolffand key members of the Brackley squad—inevitably brings back memories of the beginning, of that childhood dream shaped by a passion for speed and the goal of competing alongside Formula 1’s greatest. It recalls the sacrifices, the adolescent years spent traveling from one circuit to another, refining a raw and inexperienced talent. But at the same time, it ignites the realization that, given the chance to go back in time, he would probably do it all over again. This, despite his parents’ early attempts to steer him away from what once seemed an unattainable goal. After all, “once something becomes a passion, motivation comes from within,” and anything is possible.
“My parents wanted to protect me because they were afraid I wouldn’t be able to handle disappointment. But then they saw how passionate I was, that I kept watching past races at home and playing with toy cars, so they let me follow my passion,” Kimi Antonelli shared in an exclusive interview with Sky Sport F1 Italia, alongside Vicky Piria and Davide Camicioli.
And so, at dawn in Italy on March 16, Andrea Kimi Antonelli will compete in his first official Formula 1 race, carrying the number 12—a tribute to the legendary Ayrton Senna, who raced with the same number from 1985 to 1987 with Lotus, and a nod to his karting origins.
Despite his first official commitments of the season, Antonelli admitted that he still hasn’t fully realized the magnitude of his new role. He believes that the reality of this crucial chapter in his life will truly sink in once he steps onto the track in Australia for his first full Grand Prix weekend.
A record to break for Antonelli
Kimi Antonelli is undoubtedly the youngest driver on the grid for the 75th edition of the Formula 1 World Championship, and he already has a record in sight. If the Italian manages to win one of the first three rounds of the season—Australia, China, or Japan—he will become the youngest driver in history to win a Grand Prix. This would see him surpass Max Verstappen, who currently holds the record with his victory at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix at 18 years, 7 months, and 15 days.
Photo: Andrea Kimi Antonelli.