Kimi Antonelli drew huge crowds at Sport in Fiera. The Bologna-born driver, who lives in San Marino, was the star of Saturday’s edition of the event, attracting large numbers of young fans and enthusiasts among the stands and during the opening ceremony, held in the presence of middle school students.
On stage alongside CONS President Christian Forcellini and Secretaries of State Rossano Fabbri and Teodoro Lonfernini, Antonelli answered questions from journalists Alessandro Alciato and Massimo Boccucci, speaking about his relationship with San Marino and, above all, his ambitions: “To become world champion and one of the greatest drivers of all time.”
He also touched on the role sport has played in shaping who he is. “Sport is life to me,” he told the students, “and I believe that sport, in general, has made me the person I am today. When you compete at a high level, you learn the principles of life, respect for the people you work with and for your rivals, and you also learn to make sacrifices. Without sport, I don’t think I would have become the person I am now.”
Forcellini, Fabbri and Lonfernini held up Antonelli as a positive role model for young people, praising his humility and professionalism. The driver happily engaged with the enthusiastic crowd, posing for photos and signing autographs, and returned in the afternoon to visit the federations’ stands.
Sport in Fiera continues tomorrow with another full day of activities and exhibitions. At 9am, the Women’s Lab will hold a yoga session, followed at 9:45am by a run organized by Move. From 5:20pm, the event will celebrate the medalists from the Mediterranean Games in Taranto and hold the awards ceremony for the 2026 CONS Literary Competition. The day will close at 6:40pm with a concert by the San Marino Institute of Music (Istituto Musicale Sammarinese).
