“I am not really a morning person,” Kimi Antonelli admitted just hours before the Miami Grand Prix, after an organization-wide decision to move the race start three hours earlier to dodge a treacherous afternoon rainstorm. Miami’s weather report demanded adaptability but promised a thrilling display of athleticism from the 22 drivers on the grid.
And despite the added chaos around volatile race conditions, all eyes were still on Antonelli, the seemingly unstoppable 19-year-old Italian wunderkind, and the next great thing to emerge from the high-octane sport. Earlier this year, in Shanghai, he became the youngest Grand Prix winner in Formula 1 history. He has since become the first driver ever in Formula 1 to win his first three races from his first three pole positions—a feat that puts him alongside and, in some cases, ahead of a few of the greats: Senna, Schumacher, and Hakkinen.
The name Senna comes up a lot these days next to Antonelli’s—the late Brazilian driver serving as his primary source of inspiration, though some would argue the comparison runs deeper than racing philosophy. “I could understand how special he was—not only as a driver, but as a person as well,” he told Robb Report during a pre-race cocktail party, as fans of all ages jostled for a closer look at the record-breaking teen. “I look up to him very much.” The resemblance is hard to ignore: dark wavy hair, olive skin, the same restless intensity behind the eyes. Wearing number 12 as a direct tribute to his idol doesn’t hurt the parallel, either.
Sunday’s race at the Miami International Autodrome was a testy afternoon that Antonelli ultimately made look inescapable. A reshuffled schedule, a dual wet-dry strategy, a chaotic start dodging Verstappen’s spinning Red Bull at Turn 1, a lost lead, safety cars, gearbox warnings over the radio, and Lando Norris hunting him down through the final twenty laps. Antonelli won anyway—his third consecutive victory, extending his championship lead by 20 points.
Success, it turns out, comes with its own rituals. With back-to-back wins, Antonelli has become very superstitious in hopes of keeping the momentum. Since his first win, he now folds his clothes in the same order before every race and always enters and exits the car from the same side. Around his neck sit two necklaces, family talismans of sorts, that he also considers good luck charms. “My mom bought this for me in Sardinia and it’s the tail of a whale,” Antonelli said, pointing to a black cord snug to his neck with a silver charm. “And in Italy we say that it brings good luck—I’ve worn it ever since I was ten. And this other one, I got it matching with my dad,” he added, gesturing to a thin black beaded string just beneath it.
The boldest accessory on the young driver, though, is on his wrist—sporting IWC Schaffhausen who has been part of his journey since the start. As a Mercedes AMG Petronas partner, the Swiss watchmaker presented Antonelli with his first luxury timepiece when he joined the team, a fitting introduction for a brand whose Pilot’s watches are built around the idea that precision under pressure is non-negotiable. In Miami, he wore the new Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 “Le Petit Prince” in white ceramic, fresh from its debut at Watches & Wonders Geneva last month. “I really like watches and I got into it last year,” Antonelli shared, admiring his wrist. “It’s another way to express yourself, I think. I’m trying to get more watches to fit every kind of occasion.”
When asked how he would dream up his own custom “Kimi” watch if IWC gave him the chance, the answer came with no hesitation. “Well, blue is my favorite color—electric blue,” he said to Robb Report with excitement. “I like ceramic, and I like the chronograph style. Then I would customize a little bit, maybe put my race number or my initial.”
While most teens get to look forward to weekends for sleeping in, socializing, or blissfully doing nothing at all, Kimi Antonelli’s days look a little different. “There can be times where I would like to be a normal 19-year-old, where I’m not really known, because now it’s more difficult to do certain things,” he confessed. “But to be fair, I don’t complain. I’m really happy with what I do, and I’m very grateful for where I am.”
From the winner’s podium in Miami, grinning and soaked in celebratory Champagne, Kimi Antonelli declared, “This is just the beginning.” The rest of the grid is surely hoping he’s wrong.