Kimi Antonelli is unstoppable: he lapped his friend Jannik Sinner (who was stuck in the pits)
Andrea Kimi Antonelli continues to win fans both on and off the track, becoming one of the most popular figures in Italian sports. The Mercedes driver, who is having an extraordinary season in Formula 1 and leads the World Championship, has reached 9.3 million followers on Instagram—nearly double that of Jannik Sinner, who has 5.7 million. It’s an impressive rise for the young Italian talent, who had 4.5 million followers at the start of 2026.
The numbers reflect the exponential growth in Antonelli’s popularity. In just a few months, the Bologna-born driver has seen his social media following nearly double, driven by his results behind the wheel and the possibility of becoming world champion. At just 20 years old and in his second season in the top tier of motorsports, Kimi is now one of the leading figures in Italian sports. His Instagram following has surpassed that of tennis world No. 1 Sinner, confirming just how much his Formula 1 successes are fueling fans’ enthusiasm.
Antonelli currently ranks second among the most-followed active Italian athletes on Instagram. Ahead of him is only Mario Balotelli, who has 11.9 million followers. Overtaking him is therefore not impossible: if the season were to end with a world title, the Mercedes driver’s popularity could grow even further.
Behind Antonelli are a number of soccer and tennis stars. Here is the ranking reported by *La Gazzetta dello Sport*:
- Mario Balotelli: 11.9 million followers
- Kimi Antonelli: 9.3 million
- Marco Verratti: 7.9 million
- Gianluigi Donnarumma: 6.8 million
- Stephan El Shaarawy: 5.9 million
- Jannik Sinner: 5.7 million
- Federico Chiesa: 4.9 million
- Federico Bernardeschi: 2.6 million
