Antonelli family incident at Imola quietly closed as Mercedes rookie signs on for 2026 push
Kimi Antonelli’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was already a bruiser on track. Off it, the family had a headache of a different kind — one that’s now been put to bed.
Prosecutors in Bologna have dismissed an investigation into Antonelli’s father, Marco, after an incident with a police officer at the Imola circuit on race day. Local reports say Marco attempted to access the paddock using the correct pass but was halted when an officer informed him the road was closed. After a brief exchange, he turned into the access road anyway and, in the maneuver, clipped the officer.
Video of the contact did the rounds online in the hours after the race. The policeman was taken to hospital and discharged with a knee strain. According to Italian media, the case — opened on suspicion of resisting a public official — was dropped with a judge effectively ruling there was no basis for the charge. The officer did not file an injury complaint, and Marco Antonelli apologized personally.
Imola’s mayor, Marco Panieri, helped broker the peace. He said the officer visited his office with local police representatives in the days after the race and was put in touch with Antonelli’s father. The matter has since been passed to insurers.
All of this unfolded on a weekend that was supposed to be a celebration for Kimi: his first of two home grands prix as a Mercedes driver. The rookie lined up 13th at Imola, raced his way into the points, and then watched the day unravel with a throttle problem that ended his run on lap 48. It was a punch to the gut for a driver steadily bedding into the big seat and trying to build rhythm in front of a partisan crowd.
Since then, the mood music at Brackley has improved. Mercedes has confirmed Antonelli will remain with the team next season, a sensible, steady call as the grid prepares for the looming 2026 regulation reset. The Italian spoke like a driver already thinking beyond the teething pains of a rookie year.
He said he’s learned plenty in the good and the bad, and that it’s made him stronger as a driver and team-mate. He thanked Toto Wolff and the crews at Brackley and Brixworth for their backing, and set out the immediate target: finish 2025 hard, lock down second in the Constructors’ standings, and then flick the switch to 2026.
There are six races left on the calendar. For Antonelli, the checklists are clear: keep tightening up Saturdays, keep the race craft sharp, keep the errors scarce. The pace is there in spells; the consistency is the next step. For Mercedes, it’s about converting the car’s better Sundays into points while juggling development priorities the factory knows too well.
As for the off-track noise, that’s done. A messy Sunday morning outside the paddock has been tidied up by midweek paperwork, apologies exchanged and insurance doing what insurance does. The Antonellis can move on. The story, once again, is back where it should be — on a silver car and a teenage talent trying to turn flashes into a full beam.
