Mexico (AFP) – From his first steps in karting to winning the Formula 1 World Championship with Mercedes, the Italian Kimi Antonelli starred in a meteoric rise that culminated on Sunday with the title at 20 years and 68 days, a record for precocity in the category.

First modification: 02/11/2026 - 21:03

. Karting

Kimi's father, Marco Antonelli, a former driver and team manager in the GT category, taught him karting at the age of five.

Two years later he began competing, although his father did not welcome his pursuing a career in motorsport.

"When I was little, before everything started, he didn't want me to become a driver because motorsport can be very cruel sometimes, especially financially, since it is very difficult to succeed without the support of the right people," Antonelli said.

That support came soon: the Bologna-born driver was discovered at the age of 11 by the Frenchman Gwen Lagrue, responsible for the Mercedes young drivers program, who toured the European karting circuits in search of new talents.

Although he had not yet dominated all the competitions in which he participated, partly due to having less competitive equipment than some rivals, the French talent scout was convinced that he had found a gem.

Officially integrated into the Mercedes Drivers Academy at the age of 12, Antonelli was placed under the tutelage of the German team, which accompanied his progression until he won two European karting titles, in 2020 and 2021.

. From F4 to F2

At the end of 2021, Antonelli made the jump to single-seaters and began a brilliant journey through the promotion categories.

Three weeks after turning 15, he debuted in Formula 4 with Prema during a test of the Italian championship held at the Red Bull Ring.

In 2022, he initially competed in some races in the Emirati F4 competition before facing his first full season in the Italian category, where he was proclaimed champion with 13 victories.

At the same time he participated in the German Formula 4 and also won that championship after winning nine of the fifteen races he competed in.

In 2023 he first won the Formula Regional Middle East Championship (FRMEC) and then the prestigious European Formula Regional Championship (FRECA).

Although the usual path pointed towards Formula 3, Mercedes and Prema decided to accelerate his development and promote him directly to Formula 2 in 2024, when he was barely 17 years old.

Antonelli finished sixth in the championship, with wins in the Silverstone sprint race and the Budapest main event.

. Arrival in Formula 1

Mercedes initially contemplated the possibility of Antonelli working for several seasons in a modest team, as had happened with George Russell at Williams.

However, the departure of Lewis Hamilton for Ferrari completely altered the German team's plans.

On August 31, 2024, Mercedes announced that Antonelli would be the starting driver starting in the 2025 season.

A few days later he participated in the first free practice session of the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, although a strong exit from the track fueled doubts about his readiness to compete at the highest level.

Despite a promising fourth place in the rain in Melbourne, the start of the 2025 campaign, his first months in Formula 1 were difficult.

Although he achieved his first podium in Canada, he then went through a very difficult period with four retirements and three finishes outside the top 16 in a stretch of nine races.

The Italian reacted in the final stretch of the championship with a second place in Brazil and a third place in Las Vegas, signs of a progression that anticipated something much greater.

. The explosion of 2026

When Mercedes showed clear technical superiority over a good part of the field since the preseason, many observers pointed to Russell as the main candidate for the title after winning the opening race in Australia.

But the big story of the year was reserved for Antonelli.

In China he became the youngest driver to achieve a pole position in the history of Formula 1 and, a day later, he also celebrated his first victory in the category.

The Italian then chained another four victories to open a significant gap at the top of the championship and consolidate himself as the man to beat.

With seven pole positions, nine wins and 16 podiums in the first 19 Grands Prix of the season, Antonelli dominated the competition and sealed his first world title in Mexico.

At 20 years and 68 days, the Mercedes driver also became the youngest champion in the history of Formula 1, surpassing the record held by the German Sebastian Vettel since 2010.

© 2026 AFP

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