Andrea Kimi Antonelli, commonly known by his middle name, Kimi, was born on 26 August 2006 in Bologna, Italy. He joined the Mercedes Junior Programme in April 2019 after achieving various titles and victories in junior karting categories.
| Nationality | Italian |
|---|---|
| Born | Andrea Kimi Antonelli 25 August 2006 Bologna, Italy |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in / 1.72m |
| Weight | 70kg |
In 2019, Kimi won the WSK Euro Series and Super Master Series titles in the OK Junior category. He also finished as the runner-up in the FIA Karting European Championship and secured a fifth-place finish in the FIA Karting World Championship. The following year, he advanced to the OK class, where he claimed the FIA Karting European Championship and the WSK Euro Series titles.
In 2021, Kimi continued competing in various international karting series in the OK class, winning the FIA European Championship again. Later that year, he moved to single-seater racing, competing in the final three rounds of the Italian Formula 4 championship with Prema Racing, where he drove to podium finishes.
Kimi moved up to a full-time seat in Formula 4 in 2022, dominating the ADAC and Italian championships with Prema. In 2023, he advanced to the Formula Regional category, winning the title in the Middle Eastern series and later claiming the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, with five victories.
In 2024, Kimi took the next step in his racing career by moving to Formula 2, competing in the F1 support series. He won his first race in F2 at Silverstone in the Sprint Race. Two weeks later, he won again in Hungary, becoming the youngest multiple-winner in F2 history.
After appearing in Friday’s FP1 for Mercedes at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix, Mercedes announced the following morning that their 2025 driver line-up would see 18-year-old Italian Kimi joining multiple Grand Prix-winner George Russell behind the wheel for the 2025 F1 season. Following in the footsteps of Russell, who advanced to Formula 1 in 2019 after an impressive two-year stint, Kimi moved up from Formula 2 and graduated from the team’s junior programme.
When was Kimi Antonelli’s first F1 podium?
By round 10 of the 2025 season, Antonelli secured his first F1 podium (P3) at the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix, to become the third youngest driver to step onto the rostrum, following on from his first pole position in F1 at the 2025 Miami Grand Prix Sprint Race on May 3, 2025, becoming the youngest polesitter in F1 history.
Formula One History Recommends
F1’s Youngest-ever Polesitter
In just the second race of the 2026 season, Antonelli delivered a sensational performance in qualifying for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix, storming to pole position with a blistering 1:32.064 and becoming the youngest Grand Prix pole sitter in F1 history at 19 years, 6 months, and 17 days, beating the record previously held by Sebastian Vettel.
See Also…
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2026 Chinese GP Qualifying: Antonelli takes record youngest-ever pole
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Which F1 Team Has the Most Front Row Lockouts In F1 history?
The Mercedes driver outpaced teammate George Russell by more than two tenths in a stunning session, showing remarkable composure under pressure to lead a dominant Mercedes 1-2 front-row lockout.
F1’s Second Youngest-ever Race Winner
Converting his youngest-ever F1 pole, Antonelli put in a commanding drive at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix to take the win ahead of his more experienced teammate, George Russell. At 19 years, 6 months, and 18 days, Antonelli is second only to Max Verstappen, who won in Spain in 2016 at 18y 07m 15d.
Kimi Antonelli Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 2025-Ongoing |
|---|---|
| Teams | Mercedes |
| Driver Number | 12 |
| Entries | 26 (26 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Podiums | 5 |
| Career points | 197 |
| Pole positions | 1 |
| Fastest laps | 4 |
| First entry | 2025 Australian Grand Prix |
| First win | 2026 Chinese Grand Prix |
| Last win | 2026 Chinese Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2026 Chinese Grand Prix |
Kimi Antonelli Teammates
| 3 drivers | Involvement | First Year | Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Russell | 27 | 2024 | 2026 |
| Lewis Hamilton | 1 | 2024 | |
| Frederik Vesti | 4 | 2025 |
Kimi Antonelli Race Wins
| Win No. | Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2026 Chinese Grand Prix |
Kimi Antonelli Complete Formula One Results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team | Mercedes-AMG F1 W15 | Mercedes-AMG M15 E Performance 1.6 V6 t | BHR | SAU | AUS | JPN | CHN | MIA | EMI | MON | CAN | ESP | AUT | GBR | HUN | BEL | NED | ITA TD | AZE | SIN | USA | MXC TD | SAP | LVG | QAT | ABU | — | — |
| 2025 | Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team | Mercedes-AMG F1 W16 | Mercedes-AMG M16 E Performance 1.6 V6 t | AUS 4 | CHN 6 7 | JPN 6 | BHR 11 | SAU 6 | MIA 6 7 | EMI Ret | MON 18 | ESP Ret | CAN 3 | AUT Ret | GBR Ret | BEL 16 | HUN 10 | NED 16 | ITA 9 | AZE 4 | SIN 5 | USA 13 8 | MXC 6 | SAP 2 2 | LVG 3 | QAT 5 6 | ABU 15 | 7th | 150 |
| 2026 | Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team | Mercedes-AMG F1 W17 | Mercedes-AMG M17 E Performance 1.6 V6 t | AUS 2 | CHN 2 / 1 | JPN | BHR Can. | SAU Can. | MIA | CAN | MON | ESP | AUT | GBR | BEL | HUN | NED | ITA | MAD | AZE | SIN | USA | MXC | SAP | LVG | QAT | ABU | 2nd | 47 |
Kimi Antonelli Formula One records
Antonelli holds the following Formula One records:
| Record | Age | Achieved |
|---|---|---|
| Youngest driver to lead a lap | 18 years, 225 days | 2025 Japanese Grand Prix |
| Youngest driver to set a fastest lap | 18 years, 225 days | 2025 Japanese Grand Prix |
| Most points in first championship season | 150 | 2025 F1 World Championship |
| Youngest pole sitter | 19 years, 6 months, and 17 days | 2026 Chinese Grand Prix |
| Second youngest race winner | 19 years, 6 months, and 18 days | 2026 Chinese Grand Prix |
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