Mercedes prodigy and current 2026 Formula 1 World Championship leader Kimi Antonelli is facing serious off-track drama. Just days after securing a dominant victory at the Belgian Grand Prix, reports out of Italy indicate that the 19-year-old is the target of a massive lawsuit.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport and FormulaPassion, Antonelli’s former manager, Giovanni Minardi—son of Minardi F1 founder Giancarlo Minardi—has filed a multi-million euro legal claim against the driver.
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Giovanni Minardi was arguably the most crucial figure in Antonelli’s early junior career. After scouting Antonelli at a summer camp in 2014, Giovanni officially signed the young prodigy to Minardi Management.
May 24, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli (12) celebrates his win during the Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Minardi heavily shopped Antonelli to the top academies in motorsport. He famously arranged for an 11-year-old Antonelli to test Ferrari’s driver academy simulator in Maranello, only to have then-team boss Maurizio Arrivabene reject the prospect for being too young.
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Following the Ferrari snub, Minardi pivoted and successfully presented Antonelli to Mercedes’ Toto Wolff. Antonelli officially joined the Mercedes Junior Team in 2019, paving the way for his rapid ascent to F1.
2025 Split with Antonelli and Court Witnesses
The core of the legal dispute stems from the timing of their breakup. Despite guiding Antonelli through his entire karting and junior single-seater journey, the relationship between Minardi and the driver was abruptly severed in 2025—the exact same year Antonelli made his highly lucrative Formula 1 debut with Mercedes.
Minardi is now demanding a “maxi risarcimento” (maximum compensation) for his foundational role in securing Antonelli’s current seat.
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The lawsuit could easily spill over into the Mercedes garage. According to Italian media, both Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff and Gwen Lagrue, the head of the team’s driver development program, could be summoned to testify in court as key witnesses regarding how Antonelli’s original management contracts were structured.
While Antonelli currently holds a comfortable lead in the Drivers’ Championship with 204 points, this multi-million euro legal battle is the last thing Mercedes wants as the paddock sets up for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
