--- title: "FIA President Couldn’t Believe Kimi Antonelli’s Age on FIA Super License Application" date: "2026-10-30" modified: "2026-10-30" authors: - name: "Jerry Perez" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez.md" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/fia-president-couldnt-believe-kimi-antonellis-age-on-fia-super-license-application" categories: - "F1" - "News" - "Racing" --- # FIA President Couldn’t Believe Kimi Antonelli’s Age on FIA Super License Application ![FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem pours waters on Mercedes' Italian driver Kimi Antonelli after he won the 2026 Miami Formula One Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Florida, on May 3, 2026. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP)]() *\Chandan Khanna via Getty\* Twenty-year-old Kimi Antonelli is on the verge of becoming the youngest-ever [Formula 1]() World Champion in just his second season in the sport. It's an unprecedented feat that, even for someone who's watched F1 for over three decades, is still hard to grasp. From being confirmed as Lewis Hamilton's replacement at just 17 and crashing at Monza's Parabolica corner during his official confirmation, to a rollercoaster of a maiden season that left many—likely including Mercedes leadership—scratching their heads, there really hasn't been a bigger ["zero-*ish* to hero" story ever in F1.]() Now he just needs to finish ninth or better in Mexico City this weekend to be crowned—something he'll likely do—though after skipping Thursday's media duties due to illness, the young racer may not be feeling 100% on Sunday. ![AUSTIN, TX - OCTOBER 25: Andrea Kimi Antonelli (12) of Italy and Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team drives his car to the podum after winning the the Formula 1 MSC Cruises United States Grand Prix on October 25, 2026, at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.(Photo by Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)]() **Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty** In a recent sit-down chat with [FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem](), I asked him to expand on a story he touched on briefly during a chat at the Miami Grand Prix earlier this year. The anecdote was about Ben Sulayem doing a double-take at Antonelli's FIA Super License application when he saw "18" in the age field. "I looked at it, and I said, '18?' I looked up \[at the people with me\], and they said, 'Yes, sir, 18.' Of course I knew nobody would lie on that form, but still," the FIA president told *The Drive*. "I am very proud to see that motorsport has someone like Kimi Antonelli," Ben Sulayem continued. "I've never heard him complaining; he never complains—I think he's overcome this—he diverts from complaining." Indeed, after seeing Antonelli around the paddock a half-dozen times or so this year, it's still somewhat hard to process that that kid *right there* FaceTiming with his friends and family while walking down the Austin paddock, or being carried on the shoulders of an NFL player like in Miami, or riding his scooter down a Suzuka alley, is about to become the first Italian F1 champion in 73 years. Seventy-three years! As Ben Sulayem explained, much of it comes down to his work ethic, his family's support, and, of course, a killer car and team behind him. ![Marco Antonelli and Andrea Kimi Antonelli before the Formula 2 Round Feature Race at Sakhir Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain on March 2, 2024. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto)]() **Jakub Porzycki via Getty** "He just goes and drives and delivers the results," Ben Sulayem said. "He was under attack last year with some online abuse, you know, and then he had that crash in Monza when he went off into the gravel. Then he came back and became the first young Italian to win there in 60 years. That was so emotional. "He is a phenomenon, like some other drivers that we have. Phenomenon means a lot of things; it's not just being born with it. It means that you do all your training, you have your own way of thinking, etc." *Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter. ### Author social links [Instagram]() ## More - [FIA President Ben Sulayem Steps Back From Daily F1 Duties Amid Controversies]() - [Carlos Sainz Sr. Is ‘Confident’ He Could Do a ‘Good Job’ as FIA President]() - [F1 Whistleblower Says FIA President Fixed a Race Result to Benefit Alonso]() - [The FIA Has a New President. Here’s Why It’s a Big Deal]() - [13,000 Death Threats in an F1 Driver’s Inbox: FIA President Gets Real About the Dark Side of Fame]() - [FIA Might Ease Up On Its Controversial F1 Swearing Rules]() - [FIA President Owns 160 American V8 Cars, Says European Cars Are ‘Like Matchboxes’]() - [FIA Won’t Rule on Abu Dhabi Investigation Until First F1 Race of 2022]()