As Motorsport.com reports, Andrea Kimi Antonelli is looking far beyond his current day job. At just 20 years old, the Mercedes driver has ambitious plans to launch his own racing academy to help young talent break into the sport.
Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, the Italian made it clear that the brutal financial realities of climbing the motorsport ladder need tackling. Given his background growing up inside the garage of his father's team, AKM Motorsport, he understands precisely how difficult it is for talented kids to secure opportunities without deep pockets. "We want to build an academy for young people so they get a chance in motorsport," Antonelli told AMUS. "Motorsport is a great but difficult world. It is not easy to get opportunities there. We want to help young drivers get a chance."
Next year, at the beginning or middle of the season, there will definitely be an opportunity. It would be nice to fulfil this dream of my father's.
Significantly, the academy won't be laser-focused solely on feeding kids into Formula 1. Inspired in part by Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing turning the GT3 endurance world into a high-profile arena, Antonelli recognizes professional GT racing as a lucrative and thriving destination in its own right. "GT racing is growing strongly right now," Antonelli confirmed to AMUS. "Max is helping to make it more well-known and show the fascination." That means his future academy will cast a wider net, opening doors outside the traditional single-seater path.
Before launching into junior development, however, there is a very personal family ambition to tick off first. His father, Marco Antonelli, is a former touring car driver and the brain behind AKM Motorsport. While Kimi previously tested his dad's GT3 machinery three years ago, the pair have never actually shared a cockpit during a live race weekend. That omission is about to be corrected.
"A dream of my father's is that we race together one day. I competed for his team three years ago, but we have never participated in a race together as team-mates. We would like to do that in a GT3 car," Antonelli explained. When pressed on the timeline for this father-son team-up, the young star pointed firmly to the immediate future. "If we find the time, absolutely," Antonelli said. "Next year, at the beginning or middle of the season, there will definitely be an opportunity. It would be nice to fulfil this dream of my father's."
