2nd-year Kimi Antonelli has already turned heads across the Formula 1 paddock thanks to his extraordinary talent, making serious waves during his rookie campaign.
In qualifying at Shanghai International Circuit, the young Italian delivered a breakthrough moment — storming to his first-ever pole position.
But who exactly is the young Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team driver?
Here’s everything you need to know about Kimi Antonelli.
1. Kimi Antonelli Comes From a True Motorsport Family
Born on 25 August 2006 and hailing from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, Andrea Kimi Antonelli had motorsport in his blood from the very beginning.
His father, Marco Antonelli, most recently competed in the GT Winter Series in 2025 for AKM Motorsport. He also runs his own racing outfit, Antonelli Motorsport.
So it’s hardly surprising that Antonelli was scouted by Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team during a karting career in which he racked up a scarcely believable number of winner’s trophies.
2. Kimi Antonelli Has Already Written History
The 19-year-old Italian has already written his name into the history books of Formula 1. His incredible Formula 1 debut with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team at the Australian Grand Prix in 2025 immediately delivered points and an outstanding fourth-place finish at the chequered flag.
The young Italian continued to make headlines at the Japanese Grand Prix, where Kimi Antonelli became the youngest driver ever to lead a race, underlining the immense potential many already see in him.
But his latest milestone may be the most impressive yet: at just 19 years and 201 days old, Antonelli secured his first-ever pole position in Shanghai. With that achievement, he dethroned former record holder Sebastian Vettel, who had taken pole at the Italian Grand Prix in 2008 for Scuderia Toro Rosso at the age of 21 years and 72 days.
3. Kimi Antonelli is Single
Only recently, reports emerged about the end of the relationship between Kimi Antonelli and Eliška Babíčková.
The pair reportedly began their relationship in October 2023, before Antonelli had even stepped up to Formula 2 — the same month the young Italian was crowned champion in Italian Formula 4 Championship.
In an Instagram video, the Czech influencer explained that the two are no longer a couple:
“I was the one who ended the relationship because I felt that we were no longer aligned in our personal lives and in what we wanted for our future.”
4. Kimi Antonelli is Driving With the Number 12
Kimi Antonelli competes with race number 12 as his permanent number in Formula 1.
The number carries special meaning for the young Italian. Antonelli raced with 12 during his title-winning campaign in the Formula Regional European Championship in 2023 and continued to use it while testing for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team in 2024, as well as during his FP1 appearances at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza and the Mexican Grand Prix in 2024.
Since personalised driver numbers were introduced in Formula One in 2014, the number 12 has been used only rarely. Before Antonelli, it appeared in just two seasons, when Brazilian driver Felipe Nasr raced with it for Sauber F1 Team in 2015 and 2016.
5. From Giancarlo Fisichella to Kimi Antonelli
When Kimi Antonelli lined up on the grid at the Australian Grand Prix last year, he added his name to a long list of Italian talent in Formula 1. He became the 85th Italian to start a Formula 1 Grand Prix — and the first since Antonio Giovinazzi, who last raced at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2021.
Despite Italy’s rich motorsport heritage, Italian drivers have been a rare sight on the modern F1 grid during Antonelli’s lifetime. In fact, only a handful of compatriots have taken part in a race over the past two decades.
Those drivers include Giancarlo Fisichella, Jarno Trulli, Vitantonio Liuzzi, Luca Badoer and Antonio Giovinazzi — a short but notable list that Antonelli has now joined as the newest Italian competing at the pinnacle of motorsport.
Kimi Antonelli: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know