A world champion but 'one of us' - a city's pride in Antonelli — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Kimi Antonelli became Formula 1's youngest world champion at 20 by sealing the title in Mexico, ending Italy's 73-year wait for a drivers' champion.
- Antonelli won the Italian Grand Prix from 19th on the grid and ate tagliatelle al ragu from his winner's trophy in a nod to his Bolognese roots.
- Manuel Fantini, whose family has owned Galliano Park for almost 30 years, recalled Antonelli starting there at age six in a kart adapted for his height and outpacing rivals with a slower kart.
- Trattoria dal Biassanot has known Antonelli since childhood and has no photographs of his visits on its walls, which owner Luca Bugamelli presents as his “one of us” status.
- Mercedes is the German-owned Formula 1 team Antonelli drives for, even as a Bologna resident said the Monza crowd was probably split between him and Ferrari for the first time.
- Bologna has not yet seen its shops and billboards littered with Antonelli's image, even as his social-media presence has attracted non-aficionados to Formula 1.
Why it matters: By becoming Formula 1's youngest world champion at 20 after a 73-year Italian wait, Antonelli gave Bologna a shared civic symbol. His Mercedes affiliation was reportedly polarizing at Monza, where the crowd was probably split between him and Ferrari for the first time, while his social-media presence brought non-aficionados into the sport.
Ask SkimNews
