Summary of this article
Kimi Antonelli is son of Marco, a former racing driver who runs his own motorsport team
Kimi joined Mercedes' Junior Programme in 2019, made F1 debut in 2025
Youngster replaced Lewis Hamilton, who went to Ferrari
He's not just Lewis Hamilton’s successor or George Russell’s teammate anymore. Kimi Antonelli, 19, has broken free from those limiting identities by becoming a Formula One race winner in Shanghai's Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday (March 15, 2026).
The teenager is now the second-youngest race winner in F1 history, a day after emerging as the youngest ever pole-position starter. The only driver younger than him to claim a Grand Prix victory was Max Verstappen, who was 18 when he first won in 2016.
Antonelli also is the first Italian to win a race in two whole decades, since Giancarlo Fisichella in 2006. To put things in context, Fisichella's triumph came five months before Antonelli was born.
Meanwhile, Antonelli's predecessor Hamilton himself ended a long wait for a finish in the top three since his blockbuster move from Mercedes to Ferrari. Hamilton’s first year with Ferrari was full of frustration as he and the team failed to get to grips with a car that was very sensitive to setup changes, and he said on Sunday that he was “incredibly grateful” to the Italian racing team for letting him guide the development of the car that put him back on a Grand Prix podium for the first time since 2024.
Kimi Antonelli’s Background
Born in Bologna, Italy on 25 August 2006, Andrea Kimi Antonelli is the son of Marco, a former racing driver who runs his own motorsport team ‘Antonelli Motorsport’. Kimi began karting at the age of seven, racing for his father’s team. His first kart title came in 2015, in the Trofeo Easykart and Kart Grand Prix EasyKart 60 category.
Kimi joined Mercedes' Junior Programme in 2019, after claiming multiple titles in the junior karting categories. His single seater debut came in 2021, when he competed in the Italian F4 and Formula 4 UAE Championship Trophy Round.
Road To Formula One
Success continued to follow the youngster as he garnered 22 race wins from 35 starts across the two series. Kimi's evident talent meant he skipped the F3 step on the ladder and moved straight to Formula 2 with PREMA for 2024, where he clinched his first race at Silverstone in sprint. He won his second race in Hungary two weeks later, becoming the youngest multiple winner in series history.
The 2025 Australian Grand Prix was when Kimi made the fateful F1 leap, becoming the 13th driver to represent Mercedes and the third-youngest driver to ever start an F1 race. By finishing fourth at Albert Park, Antonelli became the second-youngest driver to score an F1 point.
He went on to score points in his first three Grands Prix, becoming just the third driver since 1965 to do so.
When did Kimi Antonelli start racing?
Kimi Antonelli began karting at the age of seven, racing for his father’s team.
How old was Kimi Antonelli when he made his Formula One debut?
Kimi Antonelli was 18 years old when he made his F1 debut at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix.
Who did Kimi Antonelli replace at Mercedes?
Kimi Antonelli replaced the legendary Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, with the latter moving to Ferrari.
