A white shirt standing out among the blue uniforms of the mechanics. That is how Marco Antonelli can be spotted inside the garage of his AKM Motorsport team. Yet the only thing that marks him out as the boss is his clothing. In the paddock, he works side by side with his crew and, as a true racer, never shies away from conversations in the back of the garage, which has always been his natural habitat.
His politeness and disarming simplicity immediately put people at ease, and those qualities were at the heart of an exclusive interview he gave to Formula1.it. The conversation covered not only his own activities in motorsport, but also the positive period his son Andrea Kimi Antonelli is currently enjoying in Formula 1, made possible by both his talent and the support of Mercedes and an extraordinarily down-to-earth family.
Marco, sometimes you follow your own team and other times you attend Grands Prix to support Kimi. How do you decide which events to attend?
“Let’s say Kimi is in very good hands. He’s part of the Mercedes family, so it’s almost as if we were there ourselves, and that gives me peace of mind. Of course, I have to keep an eye on everything because I run a large team, so I need to divide my attention accordingly. We are also coming off a positive period and I feel fairly confident that Kimi can manage on his own right now, even without me being there.”
Is Mercedes like a second family?
“Absolutely. I am extremely relaxed knowing that he is at the track with the Mercedes family. I know he is in safe hands.”
Do you think your own career and background in motorsport influenced Kimi’s decision to become a racing driver?
“Kimi was practically born in the paddock. When he was still in his mother’s womb, we were racing in the WTCC at Magny-Cours, and he would kick whenever the engines were started. It definitely had an effect on him. Then, of course, he showed that he genuinely had this passion. Even if we may have influenced him at the beginning, afterwards it became entirely his choice, not ours.”
You were a racing driver yourself. Do you see yourself in your son?
“No, honestly I don’t. He is faster than I ever was,” he laughed. “We belong to two different eras. Back in my day, drivers raced with a knife between their teeth. There were fewer rules and more all-or-nothing overtakes, battles, contact and wheel-to-wheel fights. Motorsport is different now. But he has always been very aggressive and determined, so in that sense I do see a little bit of myself in him.”
Has your role alongside Kimi at Grands Prix changed over time, or is your support as a father still the same?
“At most, I can give my opinion if I notice something that I think is not right. But he always has to evaluate it himself and discuss it with the engineers, with Bono (Peter Bonnington) and with his entire team. I can share my feelings and impressions, but they always need to be verified with the proper tools. I can only offer my perspective as someone who has spent many years in motorsport and seen many drivers. Everything then has to be checked properly. I want to be there for Kimi because if things go well, we celebrate together, but also because I want to support him if things do not go as we hope.”
Your AKM Motorsport team is a Mercedes partner. How do you see Mercedes’ 2026 season?
“I have to say they have built a fantastic car. Right now, without any doubt, it is the car to beat. I think that is obvious. Kimi is growing, and George Russell is a certainty. I think it will be difficult for everyone else to beat them this year, although you never know. The championship is so long that anything can happen. At the moment they are very strong and I like what I see.”
Has Kimi surprised you, or is this progression something you expected? Although it’s always wise not to make too many predictions…
“To be honest, I think Toto Wolff believed in Kimi’s development even more than I did. As a father, I try not to be biased. I’ve always been a little sceptical about my son’s true potential because you always fear that he might not be as strong as people expect. That’s why I have always been very cautious when making positive comments or predictions.”
But things are going very well…
“That’s true. Kimi is doing very well, even beyond expectations. But I still think he needs to grow. In one year of Formula 1, you cannot learn what his rivals have learned over six, eight or ten years.”
He is leading the Formula 1 World Championship and you still think he has room for improvement?
“Personally, I believe he still has a great deal to learn, and I think that can only happen over the next few years. He will need time, which is perfectly normal. I think he will be truly ready in a few years’ time.”
You and Toto Wolff have always believed in Kimi’s ability, even during difficult periods and criticism, such as last season. Was it hard to manage those moments?
“When you are in a position like Kimi was last year, under the spotlight, a rookie at a team like Mercedes, replacing Lewis Hamilton and carrying so much pressure, there will always be doubts and criticism. You constantly wonder whether you are good enough, fast enough, capable enough. He went through difficult moments, but that’s normal for a young driver, especially in those circumstances.”
It must have required a lot of mental strength to come through that period.
“To be honest, I always believed he could overcome it. Thinking he could eventually win a world championship is a completely different discussion because he still has everything to prove. But regarding your question, I always believed he could do well. Those difficult moments last year were only temporary.”
How do you evaluate Toto Wolff‘s role alongside Kimi? From the outside, it almost looks as though he considers him an adopted son.
“Toto is exceptional in every respect. To achieve what he has achieved and to be where he is today, you have to be special. He is a very balanced person, someone who carefully measures everything, who has enormous experience and who is also a family man. Honestly, we couldn’t have hoped for anything better. Kimi couldn’t have ended up in a better place.”
Speaking about life away from the racetrack, what do you think is Kimi’s secret as a person?
“Kimi is a normal guy. He goes bowling with his friends, and if he meets people on the street, he’ll happily go to the pub with them in San Marino. He enjoys being around others, having fun and not thinking about Formula 1 all the time. He is a very normal young man who understands that Formula 1 is his job and treats it as such. That’s it. It’s like someone driving a bus, except that he drives a Formula 1 car.”
So he is just like everyone else?
“Exactly. He is a normal young man, like many others. He enjoys spending time with friends when he has free time and doing the same things that people his age do. Perhaps his greatest strength is precisely his normality.”
Your family has always maintained a discreet but constant presence. How are you dealing with this explosion in popularity?
“I live my life exactly as I always have. Nothing has changed. I work every day, I do what I have always done and what I enjoy doing. My life has not changed. Perhaps that is one of the reasons we remain so united as a family. Fortunately, we have wonderful children and great relationships with one another. We have always got along well and still do. Everyone does their own thing, we don’t let success go to our heads and we keep our feet firmly on the ground.
“We know very well that today you can be on top of the world and tomorrow you can be forgotten. You always have to stay balanced and calm. We are experiencing this moment in a completely normal way and we also understand that Formula 1 is simply Kimi’s job. Everyone in the family has their own role and we carry on just like any other family.”
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