The 2026 season proves that a new generation of drivers has firmly established itself in Formula 1. Just a year ago, there were five rookies on the track. Now each of them is increasingly making their mark in the top teams of the grid, but one of them is attracting the most spotlight this season. Kimi Antonelli was initially supposed to become Lewis Hamilton’s replacement. However, from the very beginning, despite comparisons and the pressure he faced because of it, he decided to build his own unique story, which caused many to start asking themselves: are we witnessing the birth of another Formula 1 legend?
Read more Development of the McLaren MCL40 car in the 2026 season
Kimi Antonelli’s Road to Formula 1
Andrea Kimi Antonelli was born in Italy, into a family with motorsport in their genes. His father – Marco Antonelli – competed in the Italian Superturismo Championship and is also the owner of the AKM Motorsport team, which competes in Formula 4. With such support, Kimi sat in a go-kart at the age of 8 and began participating in local races. The following years brought more karting successes, which caught the attention of Toto Wolff and the Mercedes young driver academy, which he joined for the 2018 season. He continued his karting journey, improving year by year, achieving more successes, breaking records, and advancing to higher categories. In 2020, for numerous achievements, he received the FIA “Karting Rookie of the Year” award. In 2022, he moved to Italian Formula 4, representing Prema. The following year, he raced in the Formula Regional Middle East, where he won twice and ultimately became the series champion at just 17 years old. As if that wasn’t enough, in the same season, he also dominated the European Formula Regional, again with Prema, winning five races and finishing first in the overall standings. By then, his name began to attract attention, and many saw him as a future motorsport legend.
The promotion to the next series did not take long, as in October it was announced that from the next season he would represent Prema Racing in Formula 2. It was not as colorful there, as he ultimately finished the season in sixth place, but F2 was not really the Italian’s goal at that time. In the wake of Lewis Hamilton’s spectacular departure from Mercedes, Toto Wolff began searching for his replacement. On August 31, 2024, the Silver Arrows announced that the 18-year-old Antonelli would be that replacement, causing a huge stir among the media and fans. The young Italian was, however, prepared for this role – he took part in private tests and training sessions (Italy and Mexico). This moment was an absolute breakthrough in Kimi’s career, but the biggest challenge was still ahead of him.
Debut 2025 Season in Formula 1
The 2025 season started almost excellently for Antonelli, with a high fourth place in the first race in Australia. This meant he scored points (and high ones) in his debut F1 start. And basically until the European part of the season, his performances were very solid, as he finished every race, except the Bahrain GP, in sixth place. Adding to this his first pole position for the sprint in Miami, we get a fairy-tale start to an F1 career. Every story, however, has its dark side, and such came for the young Italian when the races moved to Europe. Almost every Grand Prix in this series ended either outside the points (exceptions being Hungary and Monza – tenth and ninth place respectively) or with a retirement. The only hope was the weekend in Canada, which separated the European battles, where Antonelli unexpectedly finished third, thus earning his first podium in Formula 1. Kimi himself admits he struggled with enormous pressure that almost destroyed him. He emphasizes that with every race he felt he was letting down those who had believed in him earlier, giving him a chance to drive for one of the most legendary teams in motorsport. The 19-year-old admits, however, that this tough moment helped him get to know himself better as a driver and as a person and proved to him that he can overcome such difficult moments and come out much stronger. The results did not take long to appear, as his performance improved shortly after the summer break.
In the second half of the season, he finished outside the points three times but also stood on the podium three times – once in third place and twice in second. Interestingly, both second places were achieved in Brazil (sprint and main race), and some internet users highlight that this happened shortly after Kimi visited the grave of the absolute Formula 1 legend – Ayrton Senna, seeing this as a symbolic “passing of the baton.” Ultimately, Antonelli finished his debut season in seventh place in the overall standings. He admits, however, that by the end of the season he was physically and mentally exhausted. He emphasizes that the team tried their best to protect him from excessive pressure, but sometimes even they could not do much. Kimi had to learn on his own how to cope with pressure, how to read the signals his body and mind gave him, how to manage a tight schedule, travel, and media work. The exposure to constant media scrutiny peaked after the Qatar GP. Then, a huge storm was caused by Helmut Marko’s words, who stated that Antonelli let Norris pass on the penultimate lap, allowing the Brit to gain valuable points in the standings. In reality, it was a very unfortunate mistake made by the Italian, whose car slipped, and the driver could not keep it under control. A mistake anyone could make, but it cost Kimi a huge wave of hate that poured over him in the media space. Marko later retracted his words, but the damage was done. The driver received over 1000 abusive comments, including death threats. A telling reaction was that Antonelli’s profile pictures on all social media platforms were changed to a black background.
Read more Three races hope to return to the F1 calendar in the future
Fight for the Championship Title in the 2026 Season
Such a number of new experiences did not break the young Italian. Even before the 2026 season, both Mercedes drivers were considered favorites for the title, but due to much greater experience, George Russell was named the main candidate. As for Kimi, most expected a solid season from the 19-year-old, who might perhaps claim his first victory. Australia seemed to confirm these predictions. Solid pace from the Mercedes cars, the field far behind, Russell wins from pole position, and behind him comes his younger teammate. Everything changed already in the second race in China. Kimi Antonelli secured pole position, becoming the youngest driver in history to do so. The next day, he set another record by becoming the youngest race winner starting from pole. And this is where the bag of victories and records opened, as Kimi won five more races, the first three from pole position. Then came a DNF in Barcelona due to technical problems with the car, followed by third place in Austria.
Until then, many claimed that such performance was due to the excellent car Mercedes prepared for this season, pushing Antonelli’s skills into the background. However, at Silverstone, he proved that he deserves the World Championship title as much as any other driver on the grid. Despite suspension problems and additional pit stops needed for necessary adjustments, he did not give up fighting on the track. He showed a truly heroic attitude when, in response to a message from the race engineer to pit and retire the car, he begged to be allowed to continue and fight for even one point. Perhaps it was then that many fans first saw in him not a “talented teenager with a great car,” but a driver ready to fight to the end regardless of the result. For many, paradoxically, it was not the victory but the fight for one point that best showed his character. His struggle could have ended in points, but a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits, combined with the safety car at the end of the race, proved significant, and the driver ultimately finished 16th. However, he showed that he is the leader of the overall standings not only because he has a great machine but primarily because he has the skills and mentality of a very good driver. After a disastrous Silverstone, it was time for a lucky Belgium and the first victory since the Monaco GP. In Hungary, Kimi also stood on the podium, specifically in third place. By the summer break, he is the undisputed leader of the overall standings with a 50-point lead over second-placed Lewis Hamilton.
Summary
Although Antonelli is not yet 20 years old, the events of the past season have shaped him in a way that is now reflected. Incredible self-confidence on and off the track, maturity, control of his emotions and reactions are just some of the traits of a “great driver” that have already shown despite his young age. Pressure, criticism, and constant comparisons could have stopped him. Instead, they became a lesson that helped him mature faster as a driver and as a person. Perhaps that is why today he is increasingly spoken of not as “Lewis Hamilton’s successor,” but simply as Kimi Antonelli – a driver who could become a legend.
Read more Kacper Sztuka halfway through the 2026 Eurocup-3 season
The author of the article is Aleksandra Binkowska, you can find her on TikTok – link.
