Bologna, August 24, 2026 – The engines are warming up on Topolino. Kimi Antonelli, the young Bolognese driver for Mercedes, will make a ‘stop’ on the pages of the famous comic magazine, starring in a special initiative on the occasion of the Italian Grand Prix.
In the coming days, in fact, the weekly will bring Topolino, Donald Duck, Scrooge McDuck and their friends into the hectic world of motorsports through stories and special gadgets created as part of the collaboration between Disney and Formula 1. It will start with a special collector’s volume – available only with Topolino 3692 from Wednesday, August 26 – which will present an original series in 5 episodes set in the world of Formula 1, capable of bringing the readers’ imagination to the circuits of the five continents.
The debut of “Kimi Paperelli,” the paperized version of the racing champion
But the surprises don’t end here. It continues in Topolino 3693 – on newsstands, comic shops and on Panini.it from Wednesday, September 2 – with the debut of Kimi Paperelli, the “paperized” version of racing champion Andrea Kimi Antonelli: a character who promises to be the absolute protagonist of four very funny stories, short gags written by Giovanni Barbieri and Stefano Petruccelli, illustrated by Alessandro Perina, and the unmissable cover also created by Alessandro Perina.
Kimi Antonelli: “If I really lived in Duckburg, I would go with Donald Duck in his legendary 313”
“Topolino was the magazine of my childhood and I am happy to find myself today on its pages. If I really lived in Duckburg, I would go with Donald Duck in his legendary 313, because it is a car I really like: it’s sporty, has its own character… and I love Donald Duck, he’s so funny to me!”, commented Kimi Antonelli.
The story by Alessandro Ferrari and Marco Mazzarello: “Making these two worlds talk was an interesting challenge”
Inside this highly anticipated issue, the adrenaline-filled world of racing also serves as the backdrop for three self-contained stories scripted by Alessandro Ferrari and illustrated by Marco Mazzarello. Between wild pit stops, radio strategies, regulatory checks and sabotage to thwart, the episodes reinterpret the behind-the-scenes of Formula 1 in perfect Disney style.
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“To include realistic elements without making the stories too technical for younger readers, we chose to focus on the roles played by Donald Duck each time: mechanic in the pits, track engineer, fan, aerodynamic engineer. Starting from his jobs, the world of racing becomes more accessible: Donald Duck learns a new role and we learn together with him,” says screenwriter Alessandro Ferrari.
“The most interesting challenge in making the world of Formula 1 and that of Topolino talk to each other was finding a meeting point that would allow both universes to remain true to their identity, enhancing both the energy and precision of racing and the fantasy and expressiveness of Disney,” adds illustrator Marco Mazzarello.
The exclusive model of the official Formula 1 car
Finally, for enthusiasts comes the exclusive scale model of the official Formula 1 car, born from the collaboration between Formula 1 and Disney. Made with extraordinary attention to detail, the model faithfully reproduces the lines, livery, shapes and all the distinctive elements of the car. Completing the set, a special figurine of Topolino as Team Manager, ready to lead the team from the pit lane. A collector’s item that combines the passion for motorsport with the unmistakable Disney universe, designed to captivate fans of all ages.
