Formula 1: What you (still) don't know about the youngest world champion in history

Motorsport history saw a new benchmark set at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. At 20 years, 2 months, and 7 days old, Andrea Kimi Antonelli was crowned Formula 1 World Champion with Mercedes, shattering the youngest-ever champion record held by Sebastian Vettel since 2010.

Beyond his blistering pace on track and the immense pressure of filling Lewis Hamilton's seat, the Bologna prodigy leads a personal life full of contrasts, resilience, and habits far removed from the typical global superstar.

Here are the most fascinating behind-the-scenes stories about the grid's new king:

A dream campaign on the track started with a tough blow in his private life. Just over a week before the season opener in February, Antonelli saw his two-year relationship with Czech racer Eliska Babickova—a karting pioneer who became the first female driver to win the Italian OK-class championship—come to an end.

Babickova took to social media to confirm the breakup and shut down any cheating rumors: "I was the one who ended the relationship because I felt we were no longer aligned in our personal lives and what we wanted for the future. Our values ended up being very different, but there was no drama and no third parties involved." While Antonelli felt the sting off the track, he channeled his emotions straight into the simulator and locked his focus on Mercedes.

Despite a lucrative multi-million-pound contract and the world title in his hands, the Italian driver does not have free rein over his finances. Managing his money remains firmly under the watchful eye of his mother, Veronica. "He has a strict monthly budget he has to stick to. When he goes on holiday, he knows exactly what the spending cap is," she revealed. His father, Marco, highlighted his son's grounded nature: "His head was never in the clouds. To give you an idea, he still gets an allowance."

His connection to racing started in the cradle. His mother recalls that when he was a newborn, the only way to get him to sleep was pushing his pram through the paddock behind roaring race cars, finding peace in the deafening sound of engines. At just 12 months old, his father sat him in a kart for the first time: Marco operated the throttle and brakes while the toddler steered. By age 10, Antonelli was already turning laps in a Lamborghini Super Trofeo on closed circuits.

Marco Antonelli, a former touring car and GT driver, initially tried to steer his son away from motorsport, knowing firsthand how unforgiving the industry can be. Their dynamic at the track was often intensely demanding. In the documentary The Seat, when Kimi asked his father about his strict approach during his childhood, Marco gave a candid reply: "I never reached my full potential in my career. I was hard on you and shouted because I wanted to push you beyond what you thought you were capable of."

In an F1 paddock where champagne and late-night celebrations are part of the lifestyle, Antonelli remains strictly teetotal. He does not touch alcohol—a detail that sparked laughter in the garage after he clinched the title in Mexico. "He doesn't drink, but it's time to grow up and have his first tequila," joked Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, the man who scouted him in junior categories and backed his direct promotion without placing him at a customer team.

As reigning world champion, Antonelli earned the right to run the #1 on his car next season. However, the Italian has already announced he will decline the champion's number to stick with his traditional #12.

The decision blends pure superstition with childhood hero worship: "Every time I raced with the number 1, it went terribly wrong," the driver admitted. Running the #12 is also an overt tribute to Ayrton Senna, who drove with the number at Lotus and McLaren before capturing his first world title in 1988—following the footsteps of Lewis Hamilton, who famously favored his #44 over the champion's #1.