Kimi Antonelli reveals plans to launch his own racing academy outside F1

At just 20 years old, Andrea Kimi Antonelli is currently busy making the rest of the Formula 1 grid look like a bunch of sluggish retirees. But apparently, casually dominating the 2026 World Championship in a Mercedes isn't quite enough to keep the Italian phenom occupied.

In a recent sit-down with Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, Antonelli revealed that he is already plotting his next massive move outside the F1 paddock: building his own driver academy.

Following the recent paddock chatter around Lando Norris launching his own junior team, Antonelli wants a piece of the driver-development pie. And given that he literally grew up inside the garage of his father's GT racing team, AKM Motorsport, he knows exactly how brutal the financial ladder can be for a kid with talent but no cash.

"We want to build an academy for young people so they get a chance in motorsport," Antonelli told AMUS. "Motorsport is a great but difficult world. It is not easy to get opportunities there. We want to help young drivers get a chance."

Interestingly, Antonelli isn't focusing his future academy strictly on getting kids into the Formula 1 feeder series. He explicitly noted that professional GT racing is a highly viable, lucrative path - a mindset heavily fuelled by a certain three-time Dutch world champion.

Max Verstappen has essentially turned the GT3 endurance world into his own personal side quest, and the rest of the F1 grid is collectively catching FOMO. Antonelli is no exception.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images

"GT racing is growing strongly right now," Antonelli confirmed to AMUS. "Max is helping to make it more well-known and show the fascination."

With that booming popularity in mind, Antonelli wants his future academy to cast a wider net for young drivers. "That doesn't necessarily have to be in Formula 1," he added. "There are also many opportunities in professional GT racing."

Before Antonelli starts writing cheques for a full-blown junior academy, he has a much more personal piece of motorsport business to handle.

His father, Marco Antonelli, is a former touring car driver who built the highly successful AKM Motorsport outfit. While Kimi has previously tested his dad's GT3 machinery, the two have never actually shared a cockpit during a live race weekend. According to Kimi, that is about to change very soon.

Marco Antonelli, father of Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photo by: Kym Illman / Getty Images

"We share almost everything, especially when it comes to motorsport. We also have joint projects for the future," Antonelli explained. "A dream of my father's is that we race together one day. I competed for his team three years ago, but we have never participated in a race together as team-mates. We would like to do that in a GT3 car."

When pressed by AMUS on a timeline for this highly anticipated father-son team-up, Antonelli didn't hesitate to put it on the immediate calendar.

"If we find the time, absolutely," Antonelli said. "Next year, at the beginning or middle of the season, there will definitely be an opportunity. It would be nice to fulfil this dream of my father's."

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- The Motorsport.com Team