Antonelli: “At first my father didn’t want me to race”

Paternal instinct Several Formula 1 drivers began their careers driven by the passion for racing that they experienced within the walls of their home. A climate of ‘bread and engines’ that could also be felt in the Antonelli household, where Andrea Kimi’s father, Marco, holds the role of driver, as well as continuing the management of the GT Antonelli Motorsport Team. A person who, as told by the current leader of the F1 world championship, contributed to the growth of the 19-year-old from Bologna in the preparatory categories until he reached Mercedes, but the desire to bring his son into the world of motorsport encountered serious obstacles. Races banned, at least at the beginning Russell’s teammate, who initially had not had direct access to the track, admitted this in an interview with the BBC: “It was all thanks to my father – declared Antonelli regarding his approach to the world of racing – he was a driver and still is. He has managed his team for many years and it was he who introduced me to the world of motorsport. From an early age I spent time with him on the track during his race weekends, and since then I started to develop a passion for motorsport. To be honest, he didn’t want me to race at first, because he knows how fantastic motorsport can be, but at the same time brutal. He has experienced the brutal side of motorsport firsthand and he didn’t want me to be affected by it. He didn’t want me to get too discouraged by the difficult moments and things like that. Green light An idea, that of Antonelli Sr., which however changed after seeing the constant growth of his son’s passion for competitions: “He realized that I really cared. He didn’t have to insist. I was the one who pushed, and it was then that he understood that I would probably become a driver – he continued – it all started thanks to the Minardi family, who sent a message to Toto Wolff. Obviously Toto was interested, and at the end of 2017 he sent Gwen Lagrue, responsible for the junior program, who saw potential and decided to let me join the Academy. It was an incredible moment, I remember being in the car with my father and receiving the call from Toto and that call was about me joining the program.