Talent and consistency: the perfect mix for Andrea Kimi Antonelli
- Francesca Zito
- Dec 2, 2022
- 4 min read
The young boy from Bologna everyone is talking about is only 16 years old and this year he has won everything he could win, doing it with the class and determination of a champion.
The passion for motorsport has always run in his family, since his father was a driver and is the owner of a team that competes in several categories, including the Italian F4 championship. Some people know Andrea Kimi Antonelli as member of the Mercedes F1 Junior program, some others for his successes in the F4 championships, and there are people who have been by his side since his karting days and have followed him on his path. Let's find out together who Kimi Antonelli is!
His karting career between injuries and great successes
He starts 2018 competing in the Mini category with Energy Corse and at the end of the year he made his debut in OKJ with Kart Republic. The results obtained certainly didn’t go unnoticed, as they aroused the curiosity of Toto Wolff, who in 2018 welcomed him inside the Mercedes Junior Program.
The year after he continued his journey in OKJ, gaining the second place at the FIA Karting European Championship, while in 2020 he managed to win the European Championship racing in the OK category. In the same year he took part in the FIA Karting World Championship, but it surely didn’t go as planned, as Kimi suffered some fractures after being involved in a scary crash.
The big step up: the debut in single-seaters
After his great results during his karting years, in 2021 Kimi Antonelli took part in his first tests with an F4 car with his father's team, AKM Motorsport Team. Since he couldn’t compete in the championship until 15 years of age, in the meantime Antonelli kept himself busy with karting, winning the European championship in OK category for the second time in a row. He also competed in selected rounds of the KZ category, before finally being able to take part in the Italian F4 championship with Prema Team.
The team from Vicenza welcomed him in their family for the last rounds of the Italian F4, and the youngster immediately showed what he is made of. Il Bolognese took part in the last three rounds of the championship, gaining three podiums in the last round. His journey with Prema continued in 2022 as well: he started the year by flying to the UAE to race in few rounds of the UAE F4 championship, finishing P8 overall. After that, he flew to England to take part at the launch of the new Mercedes W13. In that occasion fans began to gain curiosity: the behaviour of a 15-year-old boy, the Italian name and the bright eyes in front of the car he dreams of driving one day made fans go crazy.
After a hectic start of the year, Kimi came back to Italy to take part in the Italian F4 Championship. It’s been an impressive season for il Bolognese: after a disastrous start in Imola for the first round, he began collecting podiums, victories and gaining points on his contenders. He also took part in the ADAC F4 championship, which he dominated seamlessly winning it on the last round at Nurburgring.
Even though the fate of the Italian F4 championship seemed already decided and directed towards the triumph of the Italian driver, Kimi had to sweat it out until the last round, fighting with the Brit Dunne and his Brazilian teammate Camara.
In October, a week after the end of the season, he took part at the FIA Motorsport Games representing Italy in the F4 category. Despite racing with a broken wrist after a crash in free practice, Kimi won with a 7-second gap over the runner-up, once again showing his determination and strength and bringing the Italian tricolor high in motorsport.
The humility and genuineness that characterise him
He made fans go crazy not only because of his talent and achievements on track, but also because of his behavior off the track. He always has time for fans, always available for a chat, a pic or an autograph. When he is not busy on track he leads the life of a normal boy his age, spending time between studying and school, leisure and sports.
He is very close to his family, as we sew on several occasions. One memorable moment was definitely the hug with his father after the race that crowned him champion at Mugello. Not even the time to get out of the car that his father went immediately to him, took him in his arms and their hug, between tears and pride, enclosed all the emotions of the moment. There, in the corner, enjoying the moment, was his little sister with his mother, along with some of his friends who went to support him closely that weekend. This extraordinary humility, combined with simplicity, makes him a champion on and off track, and people appreciate him for who he is.
What now?
After this season full of surprises, Kimi Antonelli has been announced with Prema Team for the 2023 FRECA season: the journey with the Italian team continues after the great successes achieved during this year and a half. Expectations for the defending F4 champion are very high of course, but we are sure that with his tenacity Antonelli will be able to focus only on his goals.
In the meantime, we send him our best wishes for a speedy recovery and wish him the best for the future!
Translated by Francesca Zito & Cristina Mazzotti
Comentários