Kimi Antonelli

Driver profile

Born in Bologna, Italy, Antonelli is a product of Mercedes’ junior development programme. He joined the Mercedes race line-up directly in 2025 and continues alongside Russell with car number 12 in 2026. His rapid progression cannot be fitted to the usual template of winning F3 and then the F2 championship.

Early development and progression

In 2022, Antonelli won the Italian and German ADAC F4 titles; in 2023, he added the Middle East and European Formula Regional championships. Rather than contesting the usual FIA F3 season, he moved directly into F2 in 2024. Successive junior achievements and Mercedes’ assessment of his testing performances together helped secure an F1 seat. Skipping a level also meant some experience in more advanced cars had to be gained in a shorter time.

Career timeline

2022Won the Italian F4 and ADAC F4 titles.
2023Won the Middle East and European Formula Regional championships.
2024Moved up to F2, winning the Silverstone Sprint and the Hungarian Feature Race; Mercedes confirmed he would join the following year.
2025Replaced the Ferrari-bound Hamilton and completed his rookie F1 season with three podiums and 150 points.
2026Entered his second F1 season and has already won Grands Prix; current points and wins are listed in this page’s snapshot.

2026 season snapshot

The following figures were checked against official F1 pages on 2026-9-23. They are a snapshot, not live standings or the final season result.

Season position: Position 1
Season points: 292
Official Grand Prix count: 14
Grand Prix wins: 8
Grand Prix podiums: 12
Grand Prix poles: 6
Sprint points: 26
Sprint wins: 1

Season points already include Sprint points and must not be added again. Grand Prix and Sprint wins are listed separately; the season position here and historical honours at the top have different statistical scopes.

Defining period: from a fast-track move into F2 to Grand Prix wins in F1

Antonelli’s career should be divided into three phases: junior results, his rookie F1 season and his second season. The wet Silverstone Sprint win in 2024 provided a sample of his ability in junior racing; three podiums in 2025 showed he could deliver high-level F1 results; Grand Prix victories in 2026 represented a further breakthrough. Wins at different levels cannot be combined, and leading the current standings does not justify declaring him world champion before the season has ended.

How to read the racing

For a young driver progressing rapidly, useful questions include whether similar problems recur, how quickly unfamiliar circuits are learned, and how well race execution holds up over consecutive events. Those measures are more informative than age alone. Antonelli and Russell share a team environment, providing an important internal comparison, but differences in mechanical condition and strategy on a given weekend should still be explained before comparing them.

This section is editorial interpretation based on career history and racing patterns, intended to help viewers understand the action. It does not represent published team setup or telemetry findings.

Results and statistical scope

Within the statistical scope used on this page, the record as of verification comprises 38 Grand Prix entries, 442 points, 8 Grand Prix wins, 15 podiums in the official count, 6 poles and 0 drivers’ world titles. The best finish is position 1 (8 times).

Career figures include results from previous teams, rather than belonging only to the current team. Grand Prix entries are not the same as actual starts or finishes. Cumulative points are affected by changes to scoring systems over the years and are unsuitable as a standalone basis for ranking drivers across eras.

Has Antonelli won an F2 world championship?

No. He raced and won in F2 in 2024 before moving up to F1. Formula Regional and F4 titles are different honours from the F2 season championship.

Last verified: 2026-09-23