Kimi Antonelli is the latest young driver turning heads in Formula 1. The 19-year-old Italian (he turns 20 on August 25) picked up his first F1 victory in China, and people who know the sport are already saying this is just the beginning. Even Max Verstappen suggested this win will not be his last.
Why twelve facts?
Because that is the number on his car. Also, because it sounds neater than 11 or 13.
1. Why is he called Kimi?
His full name is Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The middle name was given by a friend of his father, Enrico Bertaggia, mainly because they thought it sounded good and a bit international. At first he preferred Andrea, then he warmed to Kimi. He is aware of the famous Raikkonen connection and liked that too.
2. A childhood surrounded by cars
His father, Marco Antonelli, raced GT and touring cars and later ran his own team. Kimi grew up in that environment, and Marco still travels with him and acts as his main advisor.
3. Lamborghini at ten
Kimi first sat in a kart at age two and was already competing by five. He won several European karting titles. His father says the turning point came at age ten, when Marco put him in a Lamborghini at the Adria circuit and saw how quickly the boy adapted.
4. Sneaking into Hockenheim at seven
When he was seven, Marco took him to a Porsche Supercup event at Hockenheim. There was a problem getting a pass for a child into the paddock, so they hid him in a trolley among tires to get him into the heart of the paddock. He remembers that first close look at a top-level track.
5. A small movie cameo
At ten, Kimi had a brief acting role in the film Veloce come il vento, released internationally as Italian Race. The movie, directed by Matteo Rovere and starring Stefano Accorsi, focuses on the life of a retired driver.
6. The number 12 is for Ayrton Senna
Kimi uses the number 12 partly as a tribute to Ayrton Senna, who raced with that number in 1988 for Lotus. Antonelli has carried 12 through junior categories and visited Senna’s grave in Sao Paulo around the 2025 Brazilian Grand Prix.
7. He likes football and Michael Jordan
Off the track he cheers for his hometown team, Bologna. He is also a basketball fan and admires Michael Jordan. The documentary The Last Dance moved him.
8. Ferrari said no—at first
Ferrari noticed the young Italian and brought him into its driver academy, but they did not promote him to single-seaters at age 13 because they judged him too young at the time.
9. Toto Wolff, the supporter
Toto Wolff and Mercedes later brought Kimi into their fold. Antonelli has called Wolff almost a "second father." Wolff publicly supported him after a difficult debut during free practice at Monza in 2024 and backed him as a potential replacement when Lewis Hamilton moved to Ferrari.
10. Homework with Mercedes engineers
Kimi continued his schooling while rising through the ranks. He studied at the Gaetano Salvemini institute, focusing on international relations and marketing, and finished his courses in 2025. English is his favorite subject. He found math harder and sometimes asked Mercedes engineers for help with homework while at the track.
11. No road license, yet an F1 car
He progressed so fast that he was driving advanced single-seaters before having a normal driving license. He only got his road license a few weeks before the 2025 Australian Grand Prix, and he said he was more nervous for the driving test than for some race starts. He passed on his first try.
12. Friends with Valentino Rossi
Being from towns less than 150 kilometers apart helped him meet MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi. They train together in karts from time to time. Rossi has congratulated him after his China win and has told Kimi he thinks the young driver can become a Formula 1 champion.
These are the short notes on why the 12 on his car is starting to feel important. He is young, fast, and surrounded by people who believe in him. That combination is usually a headline in this sport.
