How Kimi Antonelli Became a Historic F1 Champion
Kimi Antonelli has the world at his feet after his historic F1 success. The 20-year-old Italian became the youngest ever champion in the sport on Sunday, following a P3 finish at the Mexican Grand Prix. It is only Antonelli's second season as he became the first Italian driver to win the title in 73 years. And his peers, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, hoisted the youngster on their shoulders on the podium to celebrate his success.
Away from the track, Antonelli is a typical young lad who just so happens to have an incredible talent for racing. The prodigy has become a poster boy in Italy for motor racing, appearing front-row in fashion shows in Milan and on the cover of GQ Italia. But, Antonelli's passion is his need for speed. One of his favourite hobbies is to race radio-controlled 1:8 scale motorised cars. The wonderkid also loves to remain active in his spare time, playing padel with his trainer and friends. While, he's also very superstitious and wears a lucky whale-tail necklace during races.
Why Kimi Antonelli Races Radio-Controlled Cars
It's probably no surprise that a F1 driver likes doing something speedy in his spare time. One of Antonelli's hobbies, which could possibly count as training, is to race radio-controlled cars. He revealed that he recently took up driving radio-controlled cars in the 1:8 scale motorised format, noting they are brilliant and very challenging. He also sees it as a form of mental training because it helps him stay focused and not get distracted for a moment.
A video shared on MotorSport.com's social media pages in 2025 showed Antonelli's impressive skills on a track with a RC car. Last month, Formula One's official website posted a video of Antonelli and his rivals George Russell, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri trying their hand at RC cars navigating an obstacle course they created. But these weren't the 1:8 scale motorised ones that Antonelli enjoys so regularly. Norris ended up winning the challenge, as the Italian placed fourth.
How the F1 Star Switches Off With Padel and Simulators
Antonelli's pastimes are steeped in his appetite to improve as a driver. He mainly plays the Formula 1 simulator, as he told Il Sole 24 ORE's lifestyle magazine, HTSI (How to Spend It). And he continues to remain active and sporty in his downtime, while recognising moments when he needs to switch off. If he gets the chance, he goes and plays a few games of tennis or padel with his trainer or friends.
In the evening, if he can, he might meet up with them to go to the cinema or bowling. Simple activities, but they help him switch off. On Instagram, he shares glimpses of his personal life to his fans. That includes watersports and lounging on a yacht.
Superstitions, Lucky Numbers and the Whale-Tail Necklace
Like many on the circuit, Antonelli leans towards superstitions for luck. He believes that 12 is his lucky number and a sign of destiny. When a red flag period during a race in Monza left him sitting exactly in 12th place, it reinforced his belief that things were going his way. The Bologna-born youngster also refuses to entertain questions about becoming an F1 champion. Shooting down a reporter's question about how he would celebrate if he did win the championship, he retorted that he does not like the question and prefers to think about it when it happens.
However, it's his whale-tail necklace that has motorsport fans talking. Fastened like a choker, there's a sentimental story behind it too, as he told Vogue. He got the piece seven or eight years ago when they were on vacation as a family in Sardinia. His mum bought it for him and he has been wearing it ever since. In Italy, they say the tail of a whale brings good luck.
Kimi Antonelli's Personal Life and Relationship Status
Antonelli's has been lucky in life and on the track. But, his love life suffered a blow in February this year. He was in a relationship with Czech beauty Eliska Babickova until she pulled the plug on their romance. However, it was not to be, which she shared on social media, also refuting claims that others were involved in their split.
She shared a video on Instagram confirming the breakup because she felt that they no longer aligned in their personal lives and in what they wanted for their future. She added that their values towards the end of the relationship were very different, emphasizing there was no massive drama, no cheating, and no other people involved. She wanted to set the record straight to prevent any false or misleading narratives about herself and Kimi.
