Kimi Antonelli is facing an ongoing civil lawsuit from Giovanni Minardi, who is reportedly seeking between 10% and 20% of the Mercedes driver’s earnings. The case has now also drawn Mercedes directly into the proceedings, with the Bologna court ordering the team and Antonelli to provide copies of contracts and extensive accounting documentation.
The legal dispute became public in July and centres on Antonelli’s previous relationship with Minardi Management. Giovanni Minardi, son of Gian Carlo Minardi, was the person who first spotted the current Formula 1 championship leader during a karting race at Sarno in 2014 and immediately brought him into Minardi Management.
How the Kimi Antonelli lawsuit began
Mercedes signed Kimi Antonelli in 2019 and later selected him as an official Formula 1 driver for the 2025 season, replacing Lewis Hamilton.
At that point, the young Italian exercised a unilateral termination of his agreement with Minardi Management.
That decision led Giovanni Minardi to take the matter to the Civil Court. Through lawyer Mattia Grassani, Minardi explained that he had initially attempted to resolve the dispute through an amicable settlement but that no agreement was reached.
He subsequently chose to pursue the case through the ordinary courts over what he described as “agreed compensation that was never paid”.
Mercedes and Antonelli ordered to provide contracts
There have now been further developments in the case, according to the latest edition of Corriere dello Sport.
On 9 September, the Bologna court ordered Mercedes and Kimi Antonelli to submit “copies of the contracts signed and extensive accounting documentation relating to payments made to the driver” since he began competing in Formula 1.
The documentation could prove central to establishing the value of the earnings involved and the size of any potential claim.
Minardi reportedly seeking between 10% and 20% of Antonelli’s earnings
Giovanni Minardi is reportedly seeking “a percentage between 10% and 20%” of the income already received and still to be received by Kimi Antonelli.
The potential amount involved is substantial. Antonelli earned more than €10 million in 2025 alone, with that figure including not only his base salary but also significant performance-related bonuses.
Those earnings are expected to rise further during an exceptional 2026 season in which the Bologna-born driver has so far claimed six pole positions and eight victories.
Mercedes reportedly frustrated by ongoing legal dispute
Corriere dello Sport also reported a degree of frustration within Mercedes over the case, which could continue for a considerable period of time.
The dispute therefore extends beyond Antonelli’s former management relationship and now involves documentation held by Mercedes, with the court seeking a clearer picture of the contractual and financial arrangements surrounding the driver’s Formula 1 career.
With Antonelli enjoying the most successful season of his career on track, the legal battle adds a significant off-track issue involving potentially substantial sums and an agreement dating back to the earliest stages of his development as a racing driver.
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