Andrea Kimi Antonelli | AutoHebdo

2. Junior journey of Andrea Kimi Antonelli

Andrea Kimi Antonelli makes his single-seater debut in 2021, a few weeks after his fifteenth birthday, in the sixth round of the Italian Formula 4 championship with Prema at the Red Bull Ring. For his first race, he placed ninth and scored two points. The Italian only participates in three of the seven weekends of the competition at the end of the season with the aim of accumulating time on the track before starting a full season in 2022. To continue his preparation, the Bolognese takes takes part in a few stages of the 2022 United Arab Emirates Formula 4 Championship. The young driver returns for the 2022 Italian Formula 4 season with Prema alongside Charlie Wurz, Conrad Laursen, Rafael Camara and James Wharton.

After a disappointing first weekend at Imola, the native of Bologna went on to win a series of hat-tricks, punctuated by second places. The driver did not reach the podium only five times out of the 22 races of the season. His first 13 places and 362 points allowed him to win the title of his native country with a lead of 104 points over Alex Dunne, who occupies second place in the competition. Alongside the Italian program, Antonelli also plays in the German Formula 4 championship (which no longer exists) and becomes the second driver to win both trophies after Oliver Bearman in 2021.

Thanks to this double crowning, he is promoted to Formula 3 in the Formula Regional category for 2023. In order to get in condition for the European event, the Italian participates in the Middle East Championship with Prema, in winter, and wins the title against Taylor Barnard during the last round at the Yas Marina circuit. He then competed in FRECA (Formula Regional European Championship). After eleven podiums, including five victories, the young driver won the title and dedicated it to Dilano van’t Hoff who lost his life during the second race of the Belgian round at Spa-Francorchamps.

Without going through the FIA ​​Formula 3 box, the protégé of the Mercedes Junior Team arrives in Formula 2, still with Prema, with Oliver Bearman as teammate. The start of the 2024 season is complicated for the Italian team which is struggling to adapt to new aerodynamic regulations concerning ground effect. “Kimi” took his first victory in this category in round eight, helped by a particularly wet weekend at Silverstone. He finished sixth in the drivers’ standings with 113 points, ahead of Victor Martins by 6 points.

Antonelli in Formula 2 with Prema in 2024 © Xavi Bonilla / DPPI