Andrea Kimi Antonelli

The Italian teenager enters his second F1 season after a 2025 rookie campaign that mixed early growing pains with genuine flashes of class. Scouted by Mercedes during his karting days, Antonelli skipped F3 entirely and went straight to F2 in 2024, before being promoted to the Silver Arrows the following year — a fast-tracked progression that drew both excitement and scrutiny.

His debut year delivered a Sprint pole in Miami, three Grand Prix podiums, and a strong run of form to close out the season, more than enough to keep his seat for 2026. Now 19 and with a full season's data behind him, Antonelli has the chance to convert prodigy status into consistent front-running pace.