Behind the scene with Kimi Antonelli : His first time in the paddock, the choice of nr 12, hai favorite tracks

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, often just called “Kimi” by fans and teammates, has been carving out his own unique path to Formula 1, a journey shaped by both passion and legacy. The 18-year-old Italian, fresh from getting his driving licence, shares his story with the Mercedes website.

“My first time in the paddock? My dad hid me in the tires”Although Andrea is very young, he’s been attending paddocks around the world for over 10 years, thanks to his father, Marco Antonelli, a former driver and now the head of an important GT team. It’s actually Andrea’s first time in a paddock that stands out as one of the most interesting anecdotes of his young life.

“I was at Hockenheim in 2014. I couldn’t enter the paddock because I was still too small,” he recalls. “My dad (who was racing in the Porsche Supercup that weekend) decided to hide me in a stack of tires and smuggle me through on a trolley. We put an umbrella on top to hide me better, making it harder for people to spot me.”

“I managed to sneak through and enter the pit lane, and a friend of my father then got me a pass. I had a look around for about an hour, and it was an amazing experience. We still laugh about the trolley story to this day.”

The number 12

“I chose the number 12 because of Ayrton Senna.” When the three-time world champion tragically lost his life in the Imola crash at Tamburello, Andrea Kimi Antonelli had not yet been born. He would be born 12 years later in 2006

The number 12, a recurring figure, has often followed the young Bologna talent, who will make his Formula 1 debut as a full-time Mercedes driver in place of Lewis Hamilton this season. It’s not just the attraction to an iconic champion like Senna, but also other small reasons that have led Andrea to race in the FIA’s most prestigious open-wheel championship with the number 12. “12 is also the number I’ve used in single-seaters. I started using it in F4, and it worked pretty well as a number. I hope it works just as well in F1.” Moreover, there’s the connection to Mercedes: “I was 12 years old when I joined the Mercedes Junior Program. So there’s that aspect too.”

Favorite Circuits
The Italian deosn’t hesitate: “I love Imola and Mugello. Both are amazing tracks. Imola is about half an hour from my home, and Mugello is about 50 minutes away. I’ve been in love with Silverstone ever since I first drove there. Driving through Maggotts, Becketts, Chapel, and Stowe was incredible, especially in a Formula 1 car. It left me speechless. Monaco is another track I really enjoyed last year when I raced in F2. The concentration needed to tackle it, especially on a single lap, is incredible.”