Bologna, July 24, 2026 – Andrea Kimi Antonelli has been sued in the Court of Bologna by Giovanni Minardi for a series of outstanding payments that, according to the driver’s former manager, were never made. The matter dates back to 2025 and the proceedings will now be discussed by the court.
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Minardi’s lawyer: “It was not possible to reach an agreement”
“Giovanni Minardi would never have wanted to take the path of the civil court, but after deep reflection and great suffering, the remedy of ordinary justice remained – explains Minardi’s lawyer, Mattia Grassani –. I specify that in the pre-litigation phase there were various meetings between the parties to try to find a possible transactional and amicable solution. Minardi showed great willingness in this regard, but unfortunately, it was not possible to reach an agreement.” Also because, in his first year in Formula 1, the Bolognese driver would have earned around 12 million euros.
Giovanni Minardi has collaborated with Kimi for years
Giovanni Minardi (son of Gian Carlo, founder of the eponymous Italian racing team) has therefore turned to justice to have his claims recognized. “Kimi’s former manager trusts in justice; the case is already at an advanced stage of proceedings, and we await the outcome of the judgment. For us, the facts are very clear,” continues Grassani. He then emphasizes that “the work done by Minardi over the years has been important, and the opportunities he secured demonstrate this. The decision to appeal to the ordinary judicial authority, after the impossibility of reaching an agreement, was an obligatory choice. Otherwise, the former manager would have had to give up years and years of sacrifices, investments, and believing in a young talent like Kimi.”
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The Bolognese driver is “sure he acted within the bounds of legality”
On the other hand, Antonelli, who during the period in question was already part of the Mercedes Academy and was therefore already represented by the team also in terms of official management, is “sure he acted within the bounds of legality,” according to the Gazzetta dello Sport. The Bolognese driver is defended by lawyers Silvio Angelo Roccoberton and Francesca Visonà; his parents by lawyer Silvia Gavioli.
To get to the bottom of the matter, in the upcoming hearings, the current team principal and CEO Toto Wolff, and the head of Mercedes’ junior programs, Gwen Lagrue, Kimi’s mentor and discoverer, could also appear as witnesses. Antonelli, however, remains focused on the challenge of the race weekend with the eleventh qualifying session of the championship in Hungary.
