From the celebrations at Mercedes headquarters to a press conference on the Titano. Andrea Kimi Antonelli, newly crowned Formula 1 world champion, returned to San Marino, where he resides, to recount a season that carried him to the world title.
Having landed at Rimini airport late at night, the Bologna-born driver met with journalists on Thursday morning at the Kursaal Congress Centre, speaking about his victories, his friendships and his goals for 2027.
«Well, I have to say that despite winning the championship, I think I’m actually even hungrier than before», Antonelli explained, already focused on the challenges ahead. «For me, these final races feel like the start of 2027 already», he admitted. «The goal is to come out of the gate very strong next year, to finish this season well and perhaps add another win or two».
Among the standout moments of the season were his first victory in Shanghai, his triumph in Monaco and his win at Monza, which came after the difficulties he faced in 2024 — experiences that contributed to his growth both as a person and as a driver.
There was also room to talk about his friendship with Marco Bezzecchi, a leading figure in MotoGP. «He’s one of my best friends and it was wonderful to see him win in Qatar», Antonelli said, adding that he believes the rider from Romagna could be even more competitive in 2027. «This year has taught him a lot. I think the bike will perform well and he’ll be in the title fight».
The champion also spoke about his relationship with Jannik Sinner, with whom he stays in frequent contact. The two are hoping to organise a day together on track, mixing karting and GT3 racing.
Particularly heartfelt was his bond with San Marino and his longtime friends, who dedicated a letter to him after he clinched the world title. «They told me that, regardless of the success and whatever milestones come in the future, to them I’ll always be their friend — their Kimi».
Antonelli also thanked his family and his team for the support he has received since the very beginning of his career, recalling how moving it was to share the season’s decisive moments with his loved ones.
Finally, he looked ahead to projects tied to San Marino. «We have a couple of projects in mind with San Marino for the future», the champion revealed. «We’d love to build a proper karting track, one where you might even be able to host races at a world level».
And there was no shortage of humour when it came to the idea of a street circuit winding through the Titano’s roads: «Maybe we could create a slightly extreme city circuit, coming up here and going back down somewhere else — that would be quite a challenge. But let’s start with the karting track first, that’s a bit simpler».
