Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes salary, F1 star racing driver girlfriend, breaking 'golden rule'

Kimi Antonelli underlined his rich potential by taking a for the Miami Grand Prix sprint race. The 18-year-old, just six rounds into his rookie campaign after replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, saw off championship leader by just 0.045 seconds around the Hard Rock Stadium.

Antonelli has quietly impressed since stepping into the seven-time world champion's shoes, but few were expecting him to land pole for Saturday's 19-lap dash. who was born five years after double world champion even made his F1 debut, became the youngest F1 driver to take a pole position - albeit it only for a sprint, rather than Sunday's main event. Here's the lowdown on the Italian youngster, including his salary, love life and how he has earned the respect of Hamilton...

How much does Kimi Antonelli earn?

As you would expect for a young rookie, Antonelli is among the lowest-paid drivers on the grid. It's a far cry from the likes of Max Verstappen, who earns a reputed £55million per annum, and Hamilton whose salary is an estimated £43million.

However, given his immense potential, his relatively modest £1.5m salary has the potential to balloon quickly over the next few years. And thanks to being with one of F1's biggest teams, he is believed to earn at least double that of fellow newcomers Oliver Bearman, Jack Doohan and Isack Hadjar.

Who is Kimi Antonelli's girlfriend?

Antonelli's girlfriend of around 18 months, Eliska Babickova, is also a racing driver with aspirations of moving up the ladder. The Czech speedster made history by becoming the first female to win the Italian OK karting class.

Away from racing, Babickova is also active on social media and has a YouTube channel with her sisters and fellow racers Petra and Tereza. Babickova is planning to finish high school with the intention of studying economics at university.

Breaking 'golden rule'

Antonelli's first appearance in a Mercedes at an F1 weekend was one to forget. Teams are obliged to run designated young drivers in FP1 sessions at times over the season, with Antonelli getting his big chance at his home grand prix at Monza.

Having already been touted as the sport's next big thing, there was huge hype surrounding his appearance in George Russell's W15. Antonelli looked quick straight away, only to spin off and crash heavily into the barriers on just his second flying lap.

The incident left Russell's car requiring a significant repair job, with Antonelli admitting to Sky Italia: "[Russell] was not very happy, but before going out at the Parabolica, I was going strong. With George I have a good relationship, everything is fine."

Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner weighed in on the incident, saying Antonelli had broken F1's golden rule by pushing too hard too soon in a practice session. The Italian told the Red Flags podcast: "If you finish second-last, last, third-last, fifth-last, 11th in FP1 nobody really cares - everybody will have forgotten where you finished, because nobody cares in FP1 where you finish. So don't crash it because everybody will remember it."

The weekend did at least end well for Antonelli as he was confirmed as Ferrari-bound Hamilton's replacement for 2025.

Hamilton praise

Antonelli's promotion to Mercedes was heartedly endorsed by Hamilton, who has showered the youngster in praise. Speaking in August last year, amid speculation over the identity of his replacement, the F1 great said: "I said a long time ago that I think that's who the team should choose moving forwards.

"He's one of those young, super-talented kids that's come through. I think it'd be good for people just to remember he is just turning 18. He's got a bright future ahead of him. I'm really excited to see and watch his progress."

Meanwhile, Antonelli is grateful for Hamilton's support. Speaking ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, he said: "Lewis has always been nice to me, and also giving me some advice. I'm really, really grateful for that because it shows that he's not only a great driver but also a great person."