At just 20 years old, Andrea Kimi Antonelli stands on the verge of making history as one of Formula One’s youngest world champions. The Italian driver, currently competing for Mercedes, is poised to secure the 2024 title after a dominant season marked by nine victories and remarkable consistency. With 123 points separating him from closest rival George Russell and only 125 points remaining, Antonelli is widely expected to clinch the championship either in Mexico City, where the penultimate race is taking place, or at next weekend’s finale in Brazil.
Antonelli’s rapid rise follows the departure of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes to Ferrari, which led team principal Toto Wolff to turn to the promising young talent. At just 17 and a half years old, Antonelli was called into the Mercedes factory in Brackley earlier this year and told he could be behind the wheel in Formula One by 2025. Despite his youth—he had yet to compete in Formula Two, traditionally the sport’s feeder series—Antonelli’s potential was unmistakable.
Born in Bologna on August 25, 2006, Antonelli grew up in San Marino. His father, Marco Antonelli, a former sportscar driver and current owner of AKM Motorsport, has been a steady presence in his career alongside his mother, Veronica Pomaro. Kimi first showed a passion for racing at a young age, transitioning from karting success to joining Mercedes’ junior program, narrowly outpacing rival interest from Ferrari, who were deterred by his age.
Antonelli’s personality has been described as engaging and personable. Teammates and team staff note his ease in the garage and his unusual habit of treating his car almost like a living entity, often speaking to it and handling it with care. He closely collaborates with his race engineer, Bono (Peter Bonnington), and has brought a lively sense of camaraderie and lightheartedness to the Mercedes camp.
In addition to his dedication on track, Antonelli maintains a quiet personal life. He is teetotal and recently ended a two-year relationship with Czech former kart driver Eliska Babickova. Away from racing, Antonelli finds relaxation in simple routines, such as hand-washing his AMG GT63 Mercedes, a ritual he describes as meditative.
Despite the pressures of a grueling schedule—Antonelli estimates spending nearly a month on planes traveling to races last year—his focus remains unwavering. A brief bout of illness recently kept him out of media duties, but he returned to practice sessions looking strong and confident.
If successful, Antonelli will become the youngest Formula One world champion ever, surpassing Sebastian Vettel who claimed his first title with Red Bull in 2010 at age 23. Additionally, he will be the first Italian to win the championship since Alberto Ascari in 1953. As the season reaches its climax, all eyes are on this emerging talent, who combines youthful energy and maturity in equal measure.