There is no question about it now: Kimi mania is real in Italy.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli arrives at the Italian Grand Prix as Mercedes’ young championship leader, but the story has moved well beyond racing results. In Italy, he is becoming a national sporting figure, filling newspaper front pages, attracting huge crowds and helping Formula 1 reach television audiences not seen since the early 2000s.

Kimi Antonelli Is Italy’s New Sporting Hero

Italian media has embraced Antonelli in a big way. Major publications such as La Gazzetta dello Sport and Tuttosport have regularly put him alongside tennis star Jannik Sinner, which tells you plenty about the level of his rise.

Formula 1 television ratings have climbed sharply on the back of the Antonelli effect. One reported Dutch Grand Prix audience reached 1.6 million in Italy, a substantial number for the sport in a country where recent Formula 1 interest has often centred more heavily on Ferrari than on an individual Italian driver.

A survey of about 1,800 fans found Antonelli had overtaken Ferrari’s individual drivers as Italy’s most popular Formula 1 personality. That is a massive shift. Ferrari will always have its passionate support, but Antonelli has given Italian fans a homegrown driver at the front of the grid to rally behind.

The craze has reached well beyond the sporting pages. Disney’s Italian comic Topolino has given him his own cartoon character, Kimi Paperelli. That is not ordinary driver attention. That is a sign that he has crossed into mainstream popular culture.

Why the Moment Has Arrived So Quickly

Antonelli’s rise has coincided with a broader shift in Italian sport. With the national football team struggling to give the country much to celebrate, many Italian sports fans have put their energy behind individual superstars. Jannik Sinner is one. Kimi Antonelli is another.

At just 20, Antonelli has the perfect mix of ingredients for a national phenomenon: he is Italian, he is young, he is winning, and he appears comfortable under pressure. His success with Mercedes has made him compelling not just as a prospect, but as a genuine championship contender.

He also has a strong group around him. His father Marco attends most races, while his mother and sister are regularly present. Behind the scenes, Antonelli has had guidance from manager Gwen Lagrue, trainer Sergio Avila and a PR team helping him handle the enormous increase in attention.

That support matters because the attention will only grow. At Monza, Antonelli is likely to need a far more serious security presence than at previous races simply to move through the paddock and complete his work.

From a Monza Crash to a Championship Lead

It is remarkable how quickly the conversation has changed. Only 2 years ago, Antonelli made his first Formula 1 appearance during a race weekend at Monza and crashed after around 10 minutes in FP1, going into the wall at Parabolica.

At the time, there was plenty of debate about whether he was too young. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was not rattled by it. In fairness, Parabolica had already caught out the safety car the previous day because of a mechanical issue, so it was not exactly a quiet weekend at that corner.

Since then, Antonelli has come a long way. He arrives at Monza leading the 2026 World Drivers’ Championship, and a victory at the Italian Grand Prix would send the local support into overdrive.

The last Italian driver to win the Italian Grand Prix was Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966, driving for Ferrari. That was 60 years ago. An Italian victory at Monza would therefore be enormous. If Antonelli were ever to win there in Ferrari colours, it would feel like a public holiday.

Interestingly, when asked whether they would rather see a Ferrari driver or an Italian driver win at Monza, 70% chose Ferrari and 30% chose an Italian. That sums up the power of the Scuderia. Still, Antonelli is creating a different kind of emotional connection, one built around a young Italian driver doing it at the sharp end in a Mercedes.

Still Grounded Amid the Hype

For all the attention, Antonelli does not appear to have let success go to his head. Around the track, he still takes time for fans, laughs with his crew and smiles for the cameras. There is an ease about him that makes the whole thing feel fresh rather than manufactured.

Of course, this is all still relatively new. Championship pressure, media demands and the constant scrutiny of being Italy’s biggest Formula 1 story could eventually become draining. But at the moment, Antonelli looks very much at home in the role.

That combination of talent and accessibility is a large part of why the country has taken to him so quickly. Italians can see the speed, but they can also see a young man who still looks grounded despite being right in the middle of a national sporting storm.

Lando Norris Is Not Giving Up on the Championship

Antonelli may have an 83-point lead over Lando Norris, but the McLaren driver has found momentum at exactly the right time. After 2 wins in 2 races, Norris sounds more like the confident racer everyone expected to see earlier in the season.

He has spoken positively about his starts, his performance and McLaren’s recent improvements. More significantly, Norris believes the car is now capable of beating Mercedes and Antonelli.

It is a refreshing change from the self-criticism that followed several of his earlier performances. Norris has openly acknowledged mistakes this year, but recent results have brought back his belief.

Mathematically, the task is still a huge one. Even if Norris won all 11 remaining feature races and the one remaining sprint, he would not be guaranteed the title if Antonelli consistently finished second. Norris needs strong results, but he also needs the drivers ahead of him to have a few ordinary weekends.

That is not impossible. At the same stage last year, Max Verstappen was 104 points behind the championship leader and came very close to winning the title. The picture could also change if any scheduled late-season Middle East races are not held and are not replaced, reducing the number of opportunities Norris has to cut the margin.

Other Stories Heading Into Monza

Red Bull’s Late Call on Isack Hadjar

Red Bull faces a decision over whether Isack Hadjar will be fit enough to race. With a fractured wrist, the team can afford to leave the call late. Yuki Tsunoda will be waiting anxiously to see whether he gets another chance in the car.

Liam Lawson’s 7th place at the Dutch Grand Prix showed that Red Bull would not necessarily lose much by keeping him in the seat. If Hadjar is rested at Monza, it would also make sense to consider resting him for Madrid, where the tight circuit could place even more stress on the wrist.

Madrid’s Madring Already Looks Tough

The new Madrid circuit has already produced plenty of drama. Formula 3 ran 2 days of testing there and produced 19 red flags. With 6 hours of track time available each day, that is an extraordinary amount of interruption.

Turn 5, the entry to a chicane, proved to be the main problem. The exit of Turn 6 is also close to the wall. Formula 1 drivers have more experience than Formula 3 drivers, certainly, but the opening lap with 22 cars charging into that section could be very lively.

Uncertainty Over Qatar and Abu Dhabi

Reports suggesting that Qatar and Abu Dhabi have been fully confirmed as the final 2 races of the season should be treated cautiously. Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has said the races remain on the calendar as things stand, but that is not necessarily the final word.

Imola is already on standby should a replacement venue be needed. Regional uncertainty remains a concern, and it may also be part of the reason the 2027 calendar has not yet been released. Last year, it arrived in June. This time, it is running a couple of months later.

There has also been paddock talk that Bahrain and Jeddah could move from early next season to later in the year. Any such change would require Formula 1 to reorganise the calendar and the FIA to approve it, including checks that any replacement venue is fully up to standard.

All Eyes on Monza

Monza is already special because of Ferrari, the tifosi and the history of the Italian Grand Prix. Add an Italian championship leader to the equation and it becomes something else entirely.

Antonelli has gone from a teenager who crashed in his first Monza FP1 appearance to the man of the moment in Italian sport. A strong home result would deepen Kimi mania even further. A win would be unforgettable.

With Norris finding confidence, Red Bull facing driver decisions and the championship calendar still carrying uncertainty, there is plenty happening around Formula 1. But in Italy, the biggest story is clear: Kimi Antonelli has given the country someone new to believe in.