Mercedes’ teen racing sensation Andrea Kimi Antonelli invited his whole class to join him at the Imola paddock ahead of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, his first Formula 1 race in Italy.
Antonelli, 18, is combining his rookie F1 season with his final exams, on the insistence of his mother.
Sunday’s race is at the Imola circuit just down the road from Bologna, where Antonelli was born and raised, plus where he studies at the Salvemini di Casalecchio di Reno Technical Institute.
On the invite of Mercedes, 25 of his classmates and two teachers joined him at the circuit on Thursday for a peek into his other life.
“Yeah, I organised this – thanks also to some people at Mercedes. We were able to organise this for the school,” Antonelli said during Thursday’s press conference. “I think it’s a good way for them to see with their own eyes this world.
“They used to watch the races on TV, but didn’t actually know what’s going on behind it. I think it’s a really good experience and I really hope they enjoy it.
“We’ve organised some activities – later on I’ll show them the car and explain a bit, without going too much into detail. It’s a good way to keep the relationship because I don’t spend much time at home, so I don’t see them often. These little things can make the difference.”
The Italian replaced Lewis Hamilton this year following the seven-time world champion’s move to Ferrari.
Imola is the other side of Bologna to Maranello, the fabled home of Ferrari, a team with an almost religious following in Italy.
Antonelli is the first Italian to race in Formula 1 since Antonio Giovinazzi in 2021 and his debut has caused a buzz of excitement at home.
The local favourite laughed when asked if he thought there would be more Antonelli or Ferrari flags around the circuit this weekend.
“Well, I don’t know. Hopefully more Kimi Antonelli! But yeah, Ferrari is so big that it would be a bit ambitious to see more of my flags. But I would not complain.”
Source: espn.com