Kimi Antonelli is not your average rookie.
At just 18 years of age, the Italian prodigy has been fast-tracked into Formula 1 at a pace rarely seen; joining the annals of racing history as one of the youngest drivers to ever claim a seat in the pinnacle of motorsport.
“It’s a big responsibility, because now I’m racing at the top level, and now the hard part starts,” Antonelli explains to Boss Hunting ahead of the Melbourne Grand Prix.
From sneaking into the paddock as a child – hidden inside a tyre trolley, no less (“It was the 2014 Hockenheim Grand Prix, my dad was there… I was little enough to fit inside the tyre.”) – to having both his name and likeness emblazoned on an F1 garage that, until recently, belonged to Sir Lewis Hamilton; Antonelli’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary.
And the stuff of pure cinema.
“When I was trackside, he was always nice to me and giving me some advice,” he says of the outgoing Hamilton, who officially joins Scuderia Ferrari this year in a move that’s comparable to Sir Paul McCartney defecting from The Beatles to The Rolling Stones.
“I’m a lucky boy because I get the chance to be in a good car straight away. So definitely I’ll make the most out of this.”
Preparation for his debut in Formula 1 began long before the winter season: there was testing in the two-year-old W14, attending race weekends on an observational basis, plus immersing himself in the precise intricacies of race strategy.
But the crucial groundwork for his graduation from the feeder series wasn’t simply about logging time on the track or learning where he fits within the heaving Mercedes machine.
As a teen sensation who’s noticeably slight of frame, Antonelli has kicked his physical conditioning into top gear in order to meet the rigorous demands of F1 – an otherwise daunting adjustment he’s embraced with characteristic dedication.
“I’m pretty happy with how we did,” he cheerily replies, before noting how skiing in the Dolomites was now “not allowed.”
Despite his meteoric rise, there has been space to breathe and let the sheer magnitude of his achievements finally wash over him.
The profound realisation that he’s now a Formula 1 driver in a top team, for one, didn’t fully sink in until just hours before we spoke to him: when he saw his name emblazoned on the garage and his race number – 12 – along the Mercedes W16’s gleaming chassis in full Silver Arrows glory.
Antonelli continues: “All things that make you realise that actually, ‘This is real and it’s great.’ It’s what I’ve been dreaming and working for my whole life, and to finally get to this point is incredible.”
The number 12 holds a special significance for Antonelli, having not only brought him success in the early days of his single-seater career, but also due to its association with his idol and – as social media has so enthusiastically pointed out – passable doppelganger: Ayrton Senna (the F1 debutante has consistently rejected this physical comparison and expressed discomfort with it).
“It’s been a good number for me in the past few years, and hopefully, it’s a good number for this year,” he muses.
“Last year, I couldn’t use it because the number was defined by the championship position of the previous year, so I was pretty sad about it. But this year, I got the chance to use it again and I didn’t want to miss it.”
If given the chance to race against any driver – past or present – Kimi Antonelli rattles off a vaunted list of greats: the aforementioned Senna, Michael Schumacher, Jackie Stewart, and Sebastian Vettel… the latter of whom he particularly admired as a child.
Yet, he acknowledges that he doesn’t need to look too far for elite competition: sharing the track with the likes of Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, as well as reigning four-time champion Max Verstappen is a challenge he relishes.
“When you race at this level, all of them are very, very good. It’s obviously a great opportunity to be able to race against them and see what we can do.”
And while no one has officially taken him under their wing just yet, the budding Formula 1 prospect credits Hamilton for being especially kind and supportive as he enters the grid; even going so far as to leave him a handwritten message in the driver’s room from one generational talent to the next.
Kimi Antonelli’s passion for precision extends beyond racing. Given it practically comes with the territory, he’s recently developed a keen interest in watches. Partnering with IWC Schaffhausen, he currently sports a Pilot’s Watch Mark XX Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team. Though he already has his sights doggedly trained on the striking blue-dial Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Oceana.
“Blue is my favourite colour,” he admitted with an impish grin, a small indulgence amid the serious business of racing at the highest possible level.
“I’m getting more and more into it… Now I really like wearing watches and IWC, it looks great and I’m learning about how everything works.”
“I think also just the fact that I’m used to seeing the time on my phone, and it’s a nice feeling that you can actually look at the time on the watch… I don’t have to pull out my phone every time.”
Comparing an F1 car to his previous F2 machinery is almost laughable to Antonelli.
The sheer breakneck speed, the precision, the technology – it is, in every sense of the phrase, unlike anything else. Despite his extensive preparation, piloting Formula 1 engineering firsthand still left him in awe.
Kimi Antonelli now understands why these machines are considered mechanical marvels: a potent blend of complexity and high-octane grunt that only a select few ever get to experience, and even fewer can truly claim to master.
“It’s really hard to understand how fast an F1 car is until you try it, because you can see from the outside you’re quick. It’s quick, it was quick,” he emphasises.
“When you’re inside, it is amazing. It’s such a unique machine. And then you understand once you try it, why there are so many people behind the construction of one car, because it is so complicated but at the same time it’s incredible.”
Under the guidance of Mercedes as a whole and Team Principal & CEO Toto Wolff, Antonelli has received one crucial piece of advice: “enjoy the ride.”
Expectations may be high, though the team still stresses the importance of balance, ensuring he remains in peak mental and physical condition to perform as such. That philosophy will be key as he embarks on what promises to be a thrilling debut season, and hopefully, the beginning of the rest of his already storied life.
“Obviously, there’s expectation – as there should be because we’re at the top level – and it’s really important to perform. But at the same time, they want me to be happy in order to perform the best way possible,” reiterates Antonelli.
“They always try to put me in the best position, even between sessions, to provide the best schedule for me when I jump in the car, I’m ready. I’m in the zone.”
“Like I said before, I’m a very lucky boy, because I’m not only in a good team with a good car; I’ve also got a really, really great team behind me.”
Though we have a feeling luck has very little to do with a Formula 1 signing of this calibre. Because Andrea Kimi Antonelli isn’t just a name on a garage wall. He’s a bright star on the rise with a legend that’s only just beginning to be written.
