Antonelli is being sued by his former manager, Minardi.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli is facing a civil lawsuit from his former manager Giovanni Minardi regarding alleged unpaid compensation from Minardi's time before Formula 1.
As reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere della Sera, Minardi initiated the lawsuit at the Court of Bologna last year after Antonelli unilaterally ended their management agreement prior to his debut in Formula 1.
Minardi, who is the son of former team owner Gian Carlo Minardi, is reportedly seeking contractual compensation along with damages. The specific amount sought remains unclear, although reports indicate it could be significant, possibly reaching six figures, and the two parties have not yet made progress toward a settlement.
Minardi was one of the first to acknowledge Antonelli’s talent and is said to have recommended the young Italian to Ferrari before he was signed into Mercedes' junior program. During the time in question, Antonelli was already part of the Mercedes academy, with the German company overseeing the official management of its young drivers.
While Antonelli's team has not publicly addressed the situation, they are reportedly confident that the termination of the agreement was lawful. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff and junior program head Gwen Lagrue, who is rumored to be moving to Red Bull, may be called as witnesses in upcoming hearings.
Antonelli will head into the summer break leading the world championship, regardless of the outcome in Hungary. "Well, it’s not bad," he remarked to La Gazzetta dello Sport when asked about leading the championship during the break. "I’m quite relaxed and will enjoy the holidays more than last year, because I know I’ve accomplished a lot with the team in the first part of the season."
"I have no doubts about my future, so my focus can be solely on racing." However, the Mercedes driver acknowledged the need for a break after starting his preparations for the season in early January. "It’s been over seven months of intense racing, and I need to rest, have some fun, and think about other things, so I can return to work as effectively as possible."
"Even though I know I’ll be tired of it after four days."
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