This is an updated version of an article first published in August 2026
Kimi Antonelli was 10 when his father Marco first realised the boy sitting on his lap, operating the steering and gears, might have an exceptional talent as a racing driver.
The pair were at the Adria circuit in north-east Italy, Marco with his Lamborghini sports car team, Kimi competing in a karting race.
uncertain
Marco → update → race
It was the end of the day and Marco, a former driver himself, asked his son: "Do you want to try the Lamborghini?"
asserted
you → ask → Lamborghini
Of course he did.
asserted
he → do → ?
Marco strapped himself and Kimi into the car, belts extended around both.
asserted
belts → strap → both
Dad was in charge of the throttle and brake, his son would control the rest.
asserted
son → control → rest
"I couldn't see the track because he was in front of me with a helmet on," Marco tells BBC Sport.
asserted
Marco → see → Sport
"I could only see beside me the marker panels before each corner - 100m, 50m.
"
uncertain
I → see → corner
We started to drive, step by step, faster, faster, faster.
asserted
We → start → step
In the end, I pushed like I was alone and I arrived at the braking point at the end of the straight, 320km/h, braked very hard and at the limit.
asserted
I → push → limit
The car had a lot of oversteer.
asserted
car → have → oversteer
Kimi controlled the oversteer perfectly, then I went on the throttle, Kimi finished the oversteer, changed gear, and went.
asserted
Kimi → control → gear
"I said: 'OK, stop, because it has now become dangerous.'
asserted
it → say → ?
But when I saw the video, 10 years old, on my leg, oversteer, everything perfect, I said: 'Maybe he has something special.'
asserted
he → see → something
"
And now Kimi, who turned 20 only in August, has dominated F1 in only his second season, and become the youngest world champion in the sport's history.
This is the story of a boy his dad says was "born in a garage".
"Kimi from 15 days old was in the garage and heard the sound of the engine and the smell of the exhaust," says Marco, who worked with his wife Veronica on their racing team business.
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who → turn → business
It was the Christmas holidays when Kimi was about three, and Marco had brought home a simulator he had bought for his guests to try out at the Bologna Motor Show.
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guests → bring → Show
"Each evening, Kimi wanted to drive," Marco remembers.
asserted
Marco → want → ?
Just like seven years later in the Lamborghini, Kimi would sit on Marco's leg, the controls divided in the same way.
asserted
controls → sit → way
"I remember one night I started to fall asleep because I had been at work very early and we had a crash because I didn't brake when we arrived at the end of the straight," Marco says.
"
asserted
Marco → remember → straight
And Kimi said: 'Dad, dad, no sleep, no sleep.
asserted
Kimi → say → ?
I have to drive.'
asserted
I → have → ?
"
Marco Antonelli did not originally want his son to become a racing driver, because of his own struggles during his career.
asserted
son → want → career
"Sometimes you are fast but not in the right position to become a professional driver," he says.
asserted
he → become → position
In the 1990s, Marco Antonelli was on the cusp of becoming a works driver in the DTM touring car series, then a huge hit with audiences across Europe.
asserted
Antonelli → become → Europe
He tested for Alfa Romeo, but then the team boss left and the opportunity evaporated.
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opportunity → test → Romeo
Another chance came up with BMW, alongside Roberto Ravaglia and Steve Soper - stars at the time.
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chance → come → time
Again, the same thing happened.
asserted
thing → happen → ?
"I suffered a lot for it," Marco says.
asserted
Marco → suffer → it
"And, of course, I was scared that my son [would] relive the same situation.
asserted
son → scar → situation
At the beginning, I was very stressed about the passion my son had for motorsport."
asserted
son → have → motorsport
Kimi tried a go-kart for the first time when he was five, and immediately showed an awareness of racing lines, braking points and car control.
asserted
he → try → lines
The Antonellis were what Marco describes as "a normal family".
asserted
Marco → describe → family
They could not possibly afford to pay for Kimi to take part in all the categories on the way to Formula 1.
uncertain
Kimi → afford → Formula
Marco decided he could fund Kimi through karting and a year of the basic single-seater category, Formula 4.
uncertain
he → decide → category
After that, he figured he might be able to put him in one of his GT cars and become professional that way.
uncertain
he → figure → cars
But Kimi immediately started to impress.
asserted
Kimi → start → ?
Whatever category he entered, he was quick, and won.
asserted
he → enter → category
By the time Kimi was 11, his name was buzzing around motor racing circles.
asserted
name → buzz → circles
Mercedes heard about him, and their driver academy scout Gwen Lagrue flew to Italy to check him out.
asserted
scout → hear → him
It was a season in which Antonelli had ended up driving a kart with less power than those of his rivals.
asserted
Antonelli → end → rivals
Marco had told Kimi this would be good for him - he should think not about the result, but about how to improve, always push hard.
asserted
he → tell → result
…and 108 more, not listed.
The Aporia
