Kimi Antonelli Net Worth 2026: F1’s Youngest Champion and His Mercedes Pay

Kimi Antonelli’s net worth is about $15 million, according to a widely reported estimate published by PlanetF1 in August 2026. That is small by Formula 1 standards, but it belongs to a driver who has just become the sport’s newest star. On November 1, 2026, Antonelli clinched the world title at the Mexico City Grand Prix and became the youngest world champion in F1 history, at 20 years and 68 days.

Kimi Antonelli: quick facts

Net worth

$15 Million

Salary / earnings

$2 Million per year

Source of wealth

F1 salary and bonuses

Profession

Formula 1 driver (Mercedes)

Nationality

Italian

Place of birth

Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Date of birth

August 25, 2006 (age 20)

His fortune is modest because he is still early in his career. Forbes estimates he earned $12.5 million in his 2025 rookie season, much of it from bonuses. German newspaper Bild reports his 2026 base salary at about $2 million, with a title bonus that lifts his total for the year to just under €10 million (about $11 million).

The bigger money is still ahead. Antonelli is signed with Mercedes through at least 2027, and reports in late October 2026 suggested a new, much larger deal could follow over the winter. Estimates of his wealth vary widely, from about $5 million to $18 million, so the figure here should be read as a rough guide.

Kimi Antonelli at a glance

• Net worth: about $15 million (widely reported estimate, PlanetF1, August 2026)
• Full name: Andrea Kimi Antonelli
• Born: August 25, 2006, in Bologna, Italy
• Profession: Formula 1 driver
• Team: Mercedes-AMG Petronas (since 2025)
• Biggest payday: his 2026 season, reported at just under €10 million including the title bonus
• Titles: 2026 Formula 1 world champion; Italian F4 and ADAC F4 champion (2022); Formula Regional European and Middle East champion (2023)
• Car number: 12, in honor of Ayrton Senna
• Spouse: none

Where Kimi Antonelli’s money comes from

Source	Details	Estimate
Mercedes salary	Base pay as a works Mercedes driver	About $5 million in 2025 (Forbes); about $2 million base in 2026 (Bild)
Performance bonuses	Points, podiums, wins and the 2026 title	About $7.5 million in 2025 (Forbes); title bonus pushes 2026 total near €10 million
Endorsements	Mostly linked to Mercedes partners such as IWC and Adidas	Not disclosed; expected to grow after the title
Racing business	Co-founder of AKM Motorsport by Kart Republic (2023), linked to his family’s team	Not disclosed

Unlike in some sports, F1 prize money is paid to teams, not drivers. Antonelli’s title is worth money to him through his contract bonuses and future negotiating power, not through a winner’s check.

F1 earnings by season

Teams almost never publish driver pay. The table below uses the best available reports. Forbes counts base salary plus on-track bonuses, but not endorsements.

Season	Team	Result	Estimated earnings	Source
2024	Prema (Formula 2)	6th in F2, two wins	Not reported	—
2025	Mercedes	7th, 150 points, three podiums	$12.5 million ($5M salary + about $7.5M bonuses)	Forbes, December 2025
2026	Mercedes	World champion (clinched November 1)	About $2 million base; just under €10 million with title bonus	Bild, via GPblog (October 30, 2026)

The two salary figures do not fully match. Forbes put his 2025 base at about $5 million, while Bild reports a 2026 base of about $2 million. Mercedes has not confirmed either number. What is clear is that bonuses make up most of his pay, and that he earned far less than his teammate in both seasons.

Forbes ranked him 10th among F1’s highest-paid drivers in 2025, a high spot for a rookie. Forbes’ ranking for the 2026 season is expected in December.

Early life

Andrea Kimi Antonelli was born on August 25, 2006, in Bologna, in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. Racing runs in the family. His father, Marco Antonelli, is a former sports car driver who owns the junior racing team AKM Motorsport, and his mother, Veronica, has helped run it since 1997. He has a younger sister, Maggie.

Despite the name, he was not named after Kimi Räikkönen. He has said a friend of his father suggested a foreign-sounding name. He grew up idolizing Ayrton Senna and Lionel Messi and still supports his hometown clubs, Bologna FC and Virtus Bologna.

He started karting at age five at a track in Forlì. He studied international relations and marketing at a technical school near Bologna and finished his final exams online during his first F1 season.

Karting and the Mercedes junior program

Antonelli was one of the best young karters in Europe. In 2019 he won six international titles, including the Italian championship. In 2020 he became the youngest senior OK European champion, also winning the WSK Euro Series and the Italian title. He defended the European crown in 2021.

Mercedes spotted him very early. He signed with the Mercedes Junior Team at age 12, in early 2018, and the deal was announced in April 2019. Sky Sports reports that Mercedes invested more than £10 million in his development over nine years before he won the title.

Junior single-seater career (2021–2024)

He stepped up to cars with Prema in Italian F4 in 2021, finishing 10th. In 2022 he dominated, winning both the Italian F4 title, with a record 13 wins, and the German ADAC F4 title. He also won gold for Italy at the FIA Motorsport Games.

In 2023 he won two more championships: Formula Regional Middle East with Mumbai Falcons and Formula Regional European with Prema, with five wins and 11 podiums.

Mercedes then let him skip Formula 3 entirely. He went straight to Formula 2 with Prema in 2024 and finished sixth, with two wins. Later that year he made his first F1 practice appearance, at Monza.

Rookie year at Mercedes (2025)

When Lewis Hamilton left for Ferrari, Mercedes gave his seat to Antonelli. He made his debut at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix at 18, finishing fourth, and became the third-youngest starter in F1 history.

The season was uneven. He took his first podium with third in Canada but hit a rough patch in mid-season, with crashes and early qualifying exits that drew public criticism from team boss Toto Wolff. He recovered late in the year with second place in Brazil and third in Las Vegas.

He finished seventh with 150 points, while teammate George Russell was fourth. In October 2025 Mercedes confirmed both drivers for 2026.

World champion season (2026)

The new 2026 rules gave Mercedes a strong car, and Antonelli made the most of it. He won his first Grand Prix in China from pole, becoming the youngest polesitter in F1 history. He then won in Japan, Miami, Canada and Monaco, a run of five straight wins.

An engine failure in Barcelona and a technical problem at Silverstone cost him points. He bounced back with wins in Belgium, at Monza from 19th on the grid, and in Austin. Sky Sports counts eight Grand Prix wins in 2026 before the title was decided.

After his win at the United States Grand Prix on October 25, he led the standings with 365 points, 123 ahead of Russell. A week later he finished third in Mexico City behind Max Verstappen and Hamilton, which was enough to clinch the title with races still to run.

Records from the title

• Youngest world champion: 20 years, 68 days, beating Sebastian Vettel’s 2010 record of 23 years, 133 days
• First Italian champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953
• Youngest polesitter and youngest championship leader in F1 history
• Mercedes’ 10th drivers’ title, according to the team

He succeeds Lando Norris, the 2025 champion. Mercedes led the constructors’ standings by 126 points after Mexico and could clinch that title at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Contract with Mercedes

Antonelli signed a one-year deal for 2025, which Mercedes extended for 2026. In mid-2026 Wolff said the team would keep its line-up of Russell and Antonelli for 2027, and GPblog reported in October 2026 that Antonelli is signed for at least 2027.

His pay is far below the top of the grid. Forbes estimates Verstappen earned $76 million and Hamilton $70.5 million on track in 2025, compared with $12.5 million for Antonelli. Even McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, in only his third season, earned about $37.5 million. As the reigning champion, he is in a strong position to ask for a big raise, and reports suggest a new deal could come over the 2026–27 winter.

Endorsements and business

Antonelli’s commercial portfolio is still small, and most of his visible partners come through Mercedes:

• IWC Schaffhausen: the watchmaker, a long-time Mercedes partner, includes him among its brand ambassadors
• Adidas: Mercedes’ official team apparel partner
• Police: the eyewear and fashion brand has worked with him as part of its motorsport activity

Sponsorship analysts have pointed out that Italian brands have a big opportunity with the first Italian champion in more than 70 years. Personal deal values have not been reported.

Off the track, he co-founded AKM Motorsport by Kart Republic in 2023, linked to his family’s karting team. He was also the subject of the 2025 Netflix documentary The Seat, named to the Time 100 sports list in 2026, and carried the torch for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.

Real estate

Antonelli moved into his own house in San Marino in early 2026, close to his family’s base. He told reporters he now handles his own cleaning and laundry, though his mother still helps. No purchase price has been reported.

In October 2026, Monaco’s Prince Albert said Antonelli was thinking about moving to the principality, where many F1 drivers live. No move or property purchase has been confirmed.

Property	Year	Reported price
House in San Marino	2026	Not reported

Personal life

Antonelli is not married. He passed his road driving test just six weeks before his F1 debut. He speaks Italian, English and German, which he learned after joining the Mercedes junior program.

In 2025 he was named an ambassador of Italian sport for San Marino. His family remains closely involved in his career; his parents and sister were in Mexico City when he won the title.

How Kimi Antonelli compares

Driver	Team (2026)	Estimated net worth	Main source
Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	About $586 million	F1 contracts, endorsements, business
Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	About $345 million	F1 contracts, endorsements
Lando Norris	McLaren	About $60 million	F1 contracts and bonuses
George Russell	Mercedes	About $40 million	F1 contracts
Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	About $15 million	F1 salary and bonuses

Hamilton’s figure is from the Sunday Times Rich List (May 2026) and Verstappen’s from the Quote 500 (October 27, 2026). The others are widely reported estimates from PlanetF1 (August 2026). Antonelli is the reigning champion but one of the least wealthy drivers on a top team. For the full ranking, see our list of the richest F1 drivers, along with other athlete net worths.

Frequently asked questions

How much is Kimi Antonelli worth?

About $15 million, based on a widely reported estimate from PlanetF1 in August 2026. Other estimates range from about $5 million to $18 million.

How much does Kimi Antonelli earn at Mercedes?

Bild reports a 2026 base salary of about $2 million, rising to just under €10 million with his title bonus. Forbes estimates he earned $12.5 million in 2025, including about $7.5 million in bonuses.

When did Kimi Antonelli win the F1 world title?

On November 1, 2026, when he finished third at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Is Kimi Antonelli the youngest F1 world champion?

Yes. He won the title at 20 years and 68 days, breaking Sebastian Vettel‘s record from 2010.

How long is Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes contract?

He is signed with Mercedes through at least 2027. Reports suggest a new, larger deal could be agreed over the 2026–27 winter.

Is Kimi Antonelli named after Kimi Räikkönen?

No. He has said a friend of his father suggested a foreign-sounding name, and it was not chosen in honor of Räikkönen.

Sources: PlanetF1 (driver net worth estimates, August 2026), Forbes (F1’s highest-paid drivers, December 2025), Bild via GPblog (October 2026), Sunday Times Rich List (May 2026), Quote 500 (October 2026), Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, Formula1.com, Sky Sports, Al Jazeera, RaceFans, Corriere dello Sport, GPFans, Wikipedia. All net worth and earnings figures are estimates.