Two photos of Ayrton Senna behind the wheel of the McLaren on a blue wall like the sky. Monte Carlo and Spa. A bookshelf packed, but perfectly organized, with books on sports: Ayrton Senna, Riccardo Patrese, Le Mans, The Challenge of the Century, and also Rafael Nadal’s autobiography. The newly acquired driving license, a photo of Hamilton, a portrait of Ayrton with his original autograph framed, a memento of Ratzenberger “Roland Forever,” Kimi with the Mercedes colors among the Prema friends, and still a celebration of trophies of all shapes. Past, present, and near future encapsulated in just a few meters with the trophy corner – countless – that leads into Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s room in the parents’ house in Casalecchio di Reno, near Bologna, Italy

On the eve of a Formula 1 season that promises to be one of the most exciting ever for Italian fans, we met Kimi’s mother, Veronica Antonelli.

We sat in the elegant living room overlooking a large terrace set up with a beautiful barbecue and a massive table to host many friends. Next to the sofa, the Mercedes simulator that Kimi uses to train for his starts. Outside, the weather is grey, but inside, there is a warm, welcoming feeling of home, with white flowers on the table and a tray of pastries. Welcome to the Antonelli home.

With a husband who was a former driver and now head of the AKM team, and a precocious son who has already fast-tracked his career and will debut in the F1 World Championship in Melbourne alongside George Russell on the Mercedes car that, until a few months ago, was driven by seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, Veronica Antonelli is at ease with speed.

What does it feel like to hear that Toto Wolff chose the young Kimi for his talent and the person he is?
“That’s the best compliment. It means we’ve planted the right seeds,” she smiles.

Are you passionate about motorsports?
“I wasn’t, but I became one because I’ve been working in this environment for 28 years.”

What did you have to sacrifice to be Mrs. Antonelli?
“Our job is unique because it leaves little room for anything else: you’re always on track, seven days a week, so everything changes, especially for someone like me who didn’t come from this world, I was working in a post office.”

What’s your relationship with speed?
“Strangely, I’m not afraid. I feel more stressed by the competition.”

Can you tell us about Kimi as a child?
“He was amazing. I started taking him to the track right away. He was just one month old and already with me in the paddock because Marco, my husband, and I have a racing team (Antonelli Motorsport). I remember I would put him to sleep in the stroller while the cars roared in the pit.”

And his bedroom?
“He had a Spiderman poster because he likes superheroes, and then there were toy cars all over the floor. I must have bought hundreds of them. Kimi would spend hours playing: he’d line them all up on the floor, have races, even do commentary, and in the end, he always won. Or he would watch ‘Formula 1 Retro’ on Sky and keep up with the older guys when they talked about iconic races from the past.”

A precocious child, at 5 he was already on go-karts.
“He was driving a Delfino, a 35cc kart. It was to please him because Marco had always said, ‘He will never race.’ It was a way to protect him from his own disappointment of not having been able to build a career as a professional driver, despite his talent and results. Marco was always a big fan but hadn’t been supported by his father, who owned a mechanic’s workshop.”

What started as a game became the springboard for the driver today.
“Andrea loved it, and so did Marco. The years flew by. In 2015, he started racing after the season began because his father was hesitant, also because of the financial commitment required for the journey. We were away from home a lot, 30 races a season in Italy and abroad. I always accompanied him, and during those years, I tried to dissuade him because I thought it was impossible to get where we are now. He looked at me sideways as if to say, ‘This woman is crazy!’ But deep down, he knew it was his path.”

When did you realize he was already standing on his own two feet?
“There was a time when Marco and I thought Andrea wasn’t cut out for competition. He had the speed in his blood, but he was still a child, intimidated by his rivals and struggling with the pressure. To motivate him, Marco would often get angry. Andy would just look at him silently, then during races, he would remain gentle. One day, he turned a corner and never looked back: he combined the speed with everything needed to be a strong driver. He must have been around 11 or 12. That’s when I realized he had taken off, and his father also stepped back.”

A superhero for the fans, but for a mother, who is Kimi Antonelli?
“For me, he’s always just my son, whom I help pack his suitcase, always there when he needs me. We have a wonderful relationship. It feels strange to see him on TV or in the newspapers.”

What did he inherit from you?
“Many times, Marco and I wonder, ‘Whose son is this?’ He’s absorbed all these experiences from a gypsy life and made them his own. He’s unique: extroverted, cheerful, selfless. He’s good, but sharp. How are we alike? We always try to smile at life.”

You need to be hungry to win
“He goes on track for this. There are no other options. When he makes a mistake, he immediately tries to learn the lesson because he wants to prove to himself that he’s capable, and to Mercedes that they didn’t make a mistake.”

What is Kimi’s typical day at home?
“He’s in England a lot now, but at home, he loves to relax and play on the simulator.”

What’s his relationship with school?
“He’s always studied, a 6 was tight for him. In his senior year, in June, he’s supposed to take his high school exams, but it’s a busy year. Eventually, he’ll take the exam to finish the course.”

Maranello is half an hour away, have you never cheered for Ferrari?
“As an Italian, who doesn’t cheer for Ferrari? It’s also true that Kimi joined the Mercedes Academy when he was 12, so it quickly became a second family for us.”

For a mother, the race day is very special.
“I have to be alone. Even in the karting days, I often hid in the car, away from the commentator’s voice. I follow the timing page because I like to see the sectors, where he gains or loses compared to his competitors.”

Where will you watch the Australian Grand Prix?
“We’re all going to Melbourne, even his sister Maggie, his first fan. I don’t know if I’ll watch the race, but I’ll follow the times. Am I worried he’ll get hurt? No, I never think about it.”

In 2023, Kimi faced the darker side of motorsport.
“Andrea is aware of it, and we can talk about it. At Spa, on the tragic weekend where Dilano Van’t Hoff lost his life, Andy won his first race in Freca. He didn’t speak for a couple of days. Eventually, he confessed that he was deeply saddened, but he never doubted continuing to race. He went to the funeral with two other drivers from his category.”

The photo of Ratzenberger in his room also gives chills.
“Andrea is a sensitive guy. He met his parents at Imola during the ‘Senna Forever’ event.”

He admires both Ayrton the driver and Ayrton the man and will be driving the Mercedes of Hamilton, who used sport as a platform to deliver positive messages.
“It’s still too early, but I think Andy is aware of the role public figures have. Even today, he repeats that in life, you need to have passions, goals, you need to believe, work, and make sacrifices. He’s made a lot of sacrifices too.”

When Jannik Sinner won the Australian Open in 2024, he wished for all kids to have parents like his, capable of understanding their children’s passions and sacrificing by not seeing them grow up at home.
“I really relate to those words because of the sacrifices we’ve made as a family. As a mother, in fact, I handed Andrea over to Toto Wolff. When Andy calls him his second father, it’s true because Toto is very protective of his drivers. It was hard, but I’m happy because we have a wonderful relationship with the Wolff family. I’m a present mother, but not a smothering one, so Andrea had the chance to learn to stand on his own. I think Toto liked that, along with his speed and ability to immediately push to the limit.”

How did it feel to see him on track with the greats?
“At Monza, it was quick, but he didn’t show any reverence. In Mexico, he was more conservative.”

Kimi at Mercedes, Hamilton and Leclerc at Ferrari. The Italian fans will be divided. How many fans write to him saying they would love to see him in red?
“He gets a lot of messages from Ferrari fans too, saying: ‘We cheer for Ferrari, but also for you because you’re Italian.’ And it’s a nice thing.”