Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes have been ordered to provide contracts and financial records linked to his Formula 1 career, as former agent Giovanni Minardi seeks substantial compensation over a previous management agreement. The dispute has been ongoing behind closed doors since mid-2025, with Minardi believing he is owed significant finances for managing the early years of Antonelli's career.
Minardi and Antonelli first began working together when Antonelli was eight years old during a karting race, and their relationship seemed strong. However, after Antonelli progressed into the Mercedes junior programme and towards F1, their relationship broke down and he decided to terminate the agreement.
Court order and legal proceedings
Earlier this summer, Minardi lodged a civil lawsuit in the Bologna court for unpaid compensation and compensation for having resigned from his mandate, with allegations linked to a period before Antonelli's F1 debut in 2025. On September 9, the Bologna court ordered Mercedes and Antonelli to file with the registry a copy of the contracts signed, as well as substantial accounting documentation regarding payments made to the driver since he began competing in F1.
Antonelli's first appearance on the F1 stage came at the Australian Grand Prix in March 2025. Through his lawyer, Minardi is claiming a percentage between 10 per cent and 20 per cent of all sums received by Antonelli and those still to be received, according to Corriere dello Sport. It is reported that 'millions of euros' are involved, given that last season Antonelli earned around £11 million and this season, with his unchallenged dominance, the figure is set to rise.
Financial claims and championship lead
Corriere add that the calculation should include Antonelli's salary, as well as bonuses linked to his pole positions, sprints, Grand Prix victories, points earned, and his personal position in the Drivers' Championship and Mercedes' position in the Constructors' Championship. It is alleged that Antonelli 'did not share' that income with Minardi, which in his view was due to the termination of the agreement.
The court also addressed the order to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, with the German team 'dissatisfied' with how the situation is evolving at such a crucial stage of the season. The next round of hearings is scheduled for November 19.
Despite the background dispute, Antonelli is cruising at the top of the Drivers' Championship and is poised to become F1 world champion for the first time in his career. The Italian is 102 points above Mercedes teammate George Russell in the race to become world champion and would require a major slip-up in the remaining six races to avoid winning the title. Next up for Antonelli and the 21 other F1 drivers is the United States Grand Prix next weekend.
