Kimi Antonelli opens up on driving in 'proper home race' at Imola: “A special one”

Andrea Kimi Antonelli will experience his first "home race" when he takes to the track at Imola this weekend for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. The Mercedes rookie, who continues to surprise the paddock in his debut season, will drive just 30 minutes from his Bologna home.

Born and raised in the heart of Emilia-Romagna, Antonelli grew up dreaming of racing at the iconic Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in his backyard, the very circuit where legends like Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher raced earlier.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Antonelli shared his enthusiasm ahead of the emotional weekend (via Formula 1):

"It feels amazing. I think this one is my proper home race because... I live probably 30 minutes away from the track... I really like the track as well. I think it's a really challenging track, old school, but it's really good fun to drive here. Of course, I feel the weekend is going to be a special one, especially racing in front of all the Italian fans, my family, friends."

Kimi Antonelli's 2025 Formula campaign has been a learning curve marked by flashes of promise. While a podium remains elusive, he's shown impressive maturity behind the wheel, notably winning the Miami Sprint event pole. He has finished outside the top ten just once in the six races so far, which places him above Lewis Hamilton at sixth in the driver standings with 48 points.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has publicly backed the prodigy, keeping expectations grounded as the calendar brings a mentally taxing home race. Antonelli acknowledged how crucial it will be to balance adrenaline with composure through the Imola weekend:

"This weekend is going to be emotionally and mentally draining... So it's going to be really important to manage the energy, especially in those moments where I can, and not to waste energy in something that is not useful... a normal weekend is very tiring and draining, so this is like double."

Adding to the emotional load was a letter left by Hamilton for his Mercedes successor, who himself returns to Imola in red for the first time. For the 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli, however, racing in front of friends, family, and a passionate Italian crowd brings added excitement and pressure.

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"Iconic Imola": Italians set for emotional homecoming as Mercedes shines spotlight on Kimi Antonelli

Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy and Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team during Imola previews. Source: Getty

The Imola weekend always evokes national pride for Italian fans, but this year's edition carries an added sense of expectation. Ferrari will have the home grandstand behind them, but Kimi Antonelli will have the support of his region. It's been nearly four years since an Italian driver competed in Formula 1, and the presence of a homegrown talent has been especially rare.

The last Italian driver to race at Imola was Antonio Giovinazzi, who competed for Alfa Romeo in 2021. Moreover, the nation hasn't seen an Italian driver on the podium since 2006, so Antonelli's rise marks a fresh wave of hope. Mercedes embraced the moment with a heartfelt social media post on Thursday, sharing a video of Antonelli discussing the circuit and captioning it:

"Iconic Imola. They don't make circuits like this anymore! 🤩"

The Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari layout remains untouched by the modern wave of circuit redesigns, offering no margin for error. A single DRS zone and the longest pit lane loss time of the year at 28.2 seconds, track position, and qualifying are expected to be crucial at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

Weather forecasts predict scattered showers on Sunday, which could further complicate matters at a circuit where overtakes are scarce. With the Tifosi behind Ferrari and the region behind their local hero, the Imola GP promises to be an emotionally charged showdown for Kimi Antonelli.