Let’s talk about the kid who might be making more money than your uncle’s entire small business—and he’s barely old enough to rent a car.
Kimi Antonelli. The name sounds like a luxury Italian sports car, and his bank account might soon match it.
But how much does an 18-year-old F1 prodigy actually earn? Buckle up. It’s a wild ride.
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The baseline: a cool million or two
Mercedes didn’t sign this teenager just because he’s cute. They’re betting he’s the next Lewis Hamilton.
Most reports peg his salary at around $1 million to $2 million per year. That’s for the base salary alone.
For context: that’s roughly 50 times the average Italian household income. And he’s still living with his parents? Probably not for long.
The rookie tax is real
Here’s the funny part. Kimi doesn’t get to keep all that cash.
In Formula 1, rookies pay a “rookie tax” to their own team. They get a tiny base salary while the team covers expenses—but it’s still laughably huge for a teenager.
Imagine earning a million dollars but having to buy your own carbon-fiber steering wheel. (Those cost about $50,000 each. Ouch.)
Sponsorships: where the real money hides
F1 drivers don’t just race. They are walking billboards in fireproof underwear.
Kimi already has deals with Puma, Bell helmets, and Monster Energy. Plus a massive personal sponsorship from Italian brand Tissot.
Those endorsement deals could easily double or triple his total earnings. We’re talking $5 million to $7 million annually—before he even wins a race.
And get this: he’s not even legally allowed to drink the Monster Energy at his own contract signings. (In Italy, you have to be 18. He turned 18 in August 2024. Perfect timing.)
The Lewis Hamilton shadow is real (and expensive)
Kimi is replacing the most marketable driver in F1 history. That comes with pressure—and cash.
Hamilton’s base salary at Mercedes was $55 million a year. Kimi’s is about 3.6% of that. Yikes.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli Net Worth – Height, Age, Girlfirend
But here’s the twist: Kimi’s contract has massive performance bonuses. Win a Grand Prix? Bonuses. Podium finish? Bonus. Beat your teammate in qualifying? Yep, bonus.
These bonuses could push his earnings to $10 million in a good year. For a teenager who still probably giggles at memes in team meetings.
Wait, what about the Mercedes Academy?
Before he was an F1 driver, Kimi was a Mercedes junior. That academy pays its drivers a stipend.
That stipend? About $100,000 a year. While he was racing in Formula 2 and Formula Regional. That’s not billionaire money—but it’s more than most of us make eating pizza on the couch.
And in 2023, he won the FIA Formula Regional European Championship. That win likely triggered a bonus clause that bumped his junior salary to $250,000. Cue the confetti.
The weird expenses nobody talks about
Having millions at 18 sounds amazing. Until you realize what you have to spend it on.
F1 drivers often pay for their own travel, personal trainers, and sometimes even their own engineers. Hamilton once joked that rookies “can’t afford to have a girlfriend” because of the costs.
Kimi’s family is wealthy—his dad runs a successful motorsport business—so he’s not exactly eating instant ramen. But the pressure to perform is still monstrous.
Fun fact: a single carbon-fiber front wing for the Mercedes W15 costs about $150,000. Crash it? That’s a year’s salary for most people—gone.
What about his net worth right now?
Estimates put Kimi’s current net worth at around $3 million to $5 million. That includes salary, bonuses, and endorsements saved up since his karting days.
Karting isn’t cheap. His parents supposedly dropped over $2 million on his karting career before he turned 15. That’s an investment with a pretty high return—so far.
If he wins a race in 2025, his net worth could double overnight. That’s the F1 lottery.
How much does Kimi Antonelli, the Italian driver who won his first
The hidden prize: a massive future
Here’s the fun part about Kimi’s money: it’s just the beginning.
If he becomes a World Champion, his next contract could be $20 million a year. Maybe more.
Lewis Hamilton earned over $490 million in his career. Kimi wants that kind of number.
And his agent? Probably already counting the zeros while eating a very expensive croissant.
Why this is just fun to talk about
Let’s be honest. We love comparing our grocery bills to a 19-year-old’s bank account.
It’s hilarious that a kid might spend more on haircuts in a month than we do on rent. (Though Kimi’s flowing locks are probably sponsored—the ultimate cheat code.)
It’s even funnier that he probably gets free tires. Have you priced a set of Pirellis lately? They’re $3,000 each.
But mostly, we’re curious: How much does a human teenager actually need to be paid to drive a missile at 200 mph?
The bottom line (no calculator needed)
Right now, Kimi Antonelli makes somewhere between $1.5 million and $7 million per year. Depends on the race results and the sponsorship deals.
That’s more than most CEOs. More than many rock stars. And definitely more than you’ll ever make writing articles about F1 drivers.
But here’s the kicker: he’s still too young to rent a Porsche in the US. (You have to be 25. F1 rules are weird.)
So next time you see him on TV, just know: that smile is worth millions. And his dad’s credit card is finally, finally paid off.