Despite the win at Spa, there’s trouble in the Antonelli household: Dad Marco threatens Mercedes star Kimi with a humorous yet clear warning over his constant track-limit violations
Victory at Spa-Francorchamps, the lead in the World Championship—on the track, things are going exceptionally well for Kimi Antonelli in Formula 1. But the Mercedes youngster’s habit of pushing the track limits to the absolute maximum isn’t just fraying nerves on the Mercedes command bridge—it’s also bringing his family into the fray.
After his triumph in Belgium, the Italian had to listen to a particularly vivid rebuke from his father, Marco, because Antonelli had already racked up two warnings for exceeding track limits early in the race on his way to his latest victory at Spa. While race engineer Peter Bonnington issued his usual calm reminder over the pit radio, Antonelli’s father chose much harsher words following the podium ceremony.
“I guess you all know that I sometimes push the track a little too hard,” Antonelli says with a smile during the media session at the Hungaroring. “That’s something I’m trying to work on. Looking back at Spa, the two track limit violations I picked up were really stupid. I just thought to myself, ‘What the hell am I doing there?’”
Father Marco threatens with a “chicken warning”
Racers naturally look for every last millimeter of asphalt to carry momentum onto the straights. However, leaving the track unnecessarily can lead to serious consequences—in the race, a five-second penalty is imposed starting with the fourth infraction. It’s a risk that Antonelli’s father, Marco, addressed immediately.
“Sometimes you might have to use the track limits during the race. But if I do it when it’s not necessary, I’m just getting myself into trouble,” explains Antonelli. “I’m definitely working on that. My dad was one of the first people to come up to me after the race in Belgium. He said, ‘Congratulations, but…’—there’s always a ‘but,’ you know.”
This was followed by a memorable warning: “He told me, ‘If I see you crossing the track limits again for no reason, I’ll wring your neck like a chicken!’” the championship leader reveals with a laugh.
Penalties in Barcelona and Miami as a warning shot
The family’s concern is well-founded; after all, track limit violations have already cost Antonelli a good result several times this season. In the Miami Sprint, the Italian actually finished fourth on the track, but dropped to sixth place due to a five-second penalty imposed after the race and lost valuable points.
In Barcelona, another five-second penalty followed for crossing the white lines four times. Although the infraction had no impact on the standings there—since Antonelli later had to retire due to a technical failure—the problem was obvious. The FIA didn’t detect the fourth infraction until after the race, which sparked debate.
Since the incidents in Spain, Mercedes race engineer Peter Bonnington has been actively working to prevent this: “Bono” now warns his protégé over the radio extremely early on—usually after just the second “ping”—to ensure they don’t even reach the critical zone where a penalty is threatened.
Family: A Rock in the Storm
Despite his strong words, Kimi Antonelli emphasizes how essential the support of his father and his close circle is to his development in the premier class. His father, Marco, has been accompanying the youngster to every race weekend ever since their days together in karting.
“Having a great team and a fantastic family around me has helped me enormously on this journey so far and continues to do so,” Antonelli emphasizes. “My father is like my rock because we share so many things.”
“I always really enjoy hearing his perspective after the sessions, after the race, or after qualifying, because that’s exactly how we’ve done it ever since our karting days.”
For the F1 superstar, that support is irreplaceable: “Having someone like him by my side during this crucial year is incredibly important. He knows me better than anyone else. He continues to play a huge role.”
