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Kimi Antonelli carries Olympic Torch in Italy before private F1 testing
Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli carried the Olympic Flame in Italy before travelling to Barcelona for private F1 testing
Lydia Mee
Published: Jan 26, 2026, 3:46 PM
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes W17
Photo by: Mercedes AMG
Andrea Kimi Antonelli took part in the 48th stage of the Olympic Torch Relay before heading to Barcelona for private Formula 1 testing this week.
The Italian driver joined fellow athletes gymnast Tara Dragas, basketball player Michele Antonutti, former footballer Luigi De Agostini, Olympic fencing champion Mara Navarria, footballer Alessia Tuttino, cross-country skier Venanzio Ortis and Olympic volleyball champion Rachele Sangiuliano.
Starting in Gorizia, the Olympic Flame was carried through the rain, passing through Gradisca d'Isonzo and Sagrado before arriving at the Redipuglia War Memorial, where a tribute took place. In the afternoon, the Olympic Torch Relay continued to Palmanova, Cividale del Friuli before the stage ended in Udine.
This took place ahead of private testing in Barcelona for the 2026 Formula 1 season. The Mercedes driver, who finished his rookie season with the Brackley outfit seventh in the drivers' standings in 2025, is preparing for the new regulations introduced for the 2026 season alongside his team-mate George Russell.
While the 19-year-old had an impressive first year in the championship, team chief Toto Wolff warned it could take until 2030 for Antonelli to reach his peak.
“When do we expect him to peak? Three, five years from now,” he told the Beyond the Grid podcast. “And that’s the time we need to give him.”
He added: “I think he knows a lot about this sport because that’s what he lives and breathes every day. But there is the human component that you need to mature as a young man, cope with the dynamics and pressure of this environment.
“But I mean, no doubt that this is going in the right direction.”
The 2026 F1 season will begin with a double-header starting with the Australian Grand Prix on 6-8 March, followed by the Chinese Grand Prix the week after.
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