Andrea Kimi Antonelli has been one of Formula 1’s breakthrough talents in 2026, winning his first three races in a row and taking victory at his home race at Monza in front of 100,000 adoring fans.
Local newspapers hailed him as the “Next Valentino Rossi” in Italy, while the popular Corriere dello Sport crowned him “King Kimi” in its post-race front-page coverage.
Italy hasn’t seen a driver in a car capable of winning races since Giancarlo Fisichella in 2006, racing for Renault, while its last F1 world champion was Alberto Ascari in 1953.
What makes Kimi Antonelli the ‘perfect’ brand ambassador?
At 20 years old, Antonelli cuts through the younger market F1 has been trying to appeal to over the last few years.
Now 43% of the fanbase is under 35 years old, with Gen Z its fastest-growing segment according to a fan survey conducted by F1 in 2025.
Emanuele Venturoli, Head of Marketing and Communication at RTR Sports Marketing, believes this is a strong base for Antonelli to begin increasing partnership involvement off the back of his on-track success.
“Over the coming weeks and months, as he closes in on the title and Kimi-mania keeps building, we will see a lot more of that,” explains Venturoli.
“And it will be no surprise. Antonelli is the perfect brand ambassador: he is young, highly talented and successful, but also naturally charming and funny.
“He is very international and speaks excellent English, while also keeping a very traditional, family-oriented Italian image. In that sense, he’s very Valentino Rossi-esque, obviously with a Gen Z trait. For global consumer brands like Barilla, just to name an example, it’s a phenomenal asset.”
Emanuele Venturoli, Head of Marketing and Communication at RTR Sports Marketing
“Antonelli is very international and speaks excellent English, while also keeping a very traditional, family-oriented Italian image.”
Much of Antonelli’s commercial appeal has stemmed from his involvement with Mercedes-AMG Petronas, but there are already signs that he’s bringing his own endorsements to the table.
“Antonelli is starting to pen his first endorsement deals, also away from the Mercedes galaxy he naturally belongs to,” said Venturoli.
“A good example is Sky Italia, the pay-TV broadcaster and broadband provider, which currently features Kimi alongside football legend Alessandro Del Piero in a new campaign running across TV, radio and digital.”
With any young athlete, they must also manage conflicting brand sponsorships as they gain the rights to monetise their image, name and likeness.
Antonelli already has great management in both Mercedes staff and his family, but as commercial interest from global brands follows, Venturoli believes there are a few warning signs the young Italian should watch for when signing personal deals.
“He will obviously have to balance his professional and sporting image carefully, leveraging categories and brands that do not conflict with the Mercedes-AMG team environment,” says Venturoli.
“It will be in his best interest to accept only premium, no-conflict partnerships and avoid risky categories and borderline brands.”
With that in mind, Sector takes a look at some of Antonelli’s growing personal sponsorship portfolio.
Adidas
Off the back of its major deal as the official team partner of Mercedes, Antonelli has forged a relationship with the brand as one of its prominent athletes.
The Italian has taken centre stage in some of its social media adverts, but the partnership also has a functional side, with him spending time performing extensive physical and lab evaluations at the Adidas HQ in Herzogenaurach, Germany, pre-season.
Antonelli has also released a line of official fan merchandise with the brand, including branded t-shirts and replicas of the hat that he wears on race weekends.
IWC Schaffhausen
Another long-standing Mercedes partner, Antonelli serves as IWC Schaffhausen’s precision-engineering brand ambassador.
The brand alignment highlights his public image while also blending it with the high-tech engineering of F1.
Antonelli frequently wears their products during media appearances and events around race weekends, while also showcasing them on social media and in traditional advertising.
A 45-minute short film produced by Netflix in partnership with WhatsApp called ‘The Seat’ featured Kimi Antonelli and an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how they navigated making the decision to sign the Italian when he was 18 years old.
The documentary uses private WhatsApp voice notes, texts, and group chats exchanged between Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, Antonelli, and his family.
The unique format builds on some of the ‘fly on the wall’ access provided to fans by Drive to Survive by offering the raw and real-time communication that shaped the decision-making behind replacing Lewis Hamilton at the end of the 2024 season.
Sky Italia
A recent ad campaign run by the Italian arm of Sky Sports featured Kimi Antonelli alongside football legend Alessandro Del Piero in a high-profile multi-channel campaign across Italian media.
Sky Italia has also previously run an original documentary called ‘Discover Kimi’ a three-part series that charts his progression from karting prodigy to his rookie F1 season in 2025.
PepsiCo
Monster Energy was initially a major backer of Antonelli throughout his junior formula career, but the commercial landscape shifted in 2026 when Mercedes signed a deal with PepsiCo.
Antonelli now functions as a central figure in PepsiCo’s global sports marketing campaigns, including representing brands like Gatorade, Sting Energy, and Doritos.
Gatorade also integrates its sports science and hydration expertise into Antonelli’s training and race-day routines, lending another functional aspect to the partnership.
Alpinestars
Prominent racewear maker Alpinestars has a technical endorsement deal with Antonelli, ensuring he receives custom protective racing gear that meets FIA safety specifications for F1.
Antonelli usually wears blue and white racing suits, gloves, and racing boots stamped with his personal driver number 12.
Alpinestars has supported Antonelli throughout his racing career, from karting to F1, and beyond its racing gear, has been involved in lifestyle crossovers. He previously fronted the release of its limited-edition Alpinestars x Anti Social Social Club apparel.
