Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be one of the biggest novelties of the 2025 Formula 1 season. The 18-year-old from Bologna will have the heavy task of succeeding Lewis Hamilton and will race alongside George Russell.
Much of the media attention, at least in these first months of the year, has been focused on Hamilton’s Ferrari debut. But Antonelli has his own story to write and goals to achieve with his new team.
Despite his young age, Andrea has been around paddocks worldwide for over 10 years, thanks to his father, Marco Antonelli, a former driver and now the owner of a major GT team. And it is precisely Andrea’s first time in a paddock that is one of the most interesting anecdotes of his young life.
“I was at Hockenheim in 2014. I couldn’t enter the paddock because I was still too young. My father (who was racing in the Porsche Supercup that weekend) decided to hide me inside a stack of tires and push me through on a cart. We put an umbrella on top to cover me better, making it harder to spot me. I managed to get through and enter the pit lane, and a friend of my father’s later got me a pass. I looked around for an hour, and it was an amazing experience. Even today, we still laugh about the cart story…”
Not just anecdotes: “I chose the number 12 because of Ayrton Senna.” When the three-time world champion lost his life after the crash at Tamburello in Imola, Andrea Kimi Antonelli had not yet been born. He would be born on August 25, 2006—exactly 12 years later.
The number 12, a recurring figure, has often accompanied the young Bolognese talent, who this year will make his Formula 1 debut as a full-time Mercedes driver, replacing Lewis Hamilton.
Beyond his admiration for a magnetic champion like Ayrton Senna, many other small reasons led Andrea to race in the FIA’s top open-wheel championship with the number 12.
“12 is also the number I used in single-seaters. Since F4, I started using 12, and it worked quite well. I hope it will go just as well in F1.”
Then, there’s the Mercedes connection: “I was 12 years old when I joined the Mercedes junior program. So, there’s also that aspect.”
Step by step, Andrea is revealing himself to F1 fans and those who haven’t followed his journey to the pinnacle of motorsport. On the Mercedes website, the young driver also shared his preferences regarding circuits. Unsurprisingly, he mentioned those closest to home—just a few dozen kilometers away. We’re talking about the Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit in Imola and the Mugello Circuit.
“I like Imola and Mugello. Both are fantastic tracks. Imola is half an hour from my house, and Mugello is about 50 minutes away.”
A bit of local pride, of course, but also an openness to other horizons: Silverstone was the first track he mentioned outside of Italy. “I’ve been in love with Silverstone ever since I first drove there. Driving through Maggotts, Becketts, Chapel, and Stowe was incredible—especially doing it in a Formula 1 car. It left me speechless.”
“Monaco is another track I really loved last year when I raced in F2. The level of concentration you need, especially for a single lap, is incredible.”
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