Kimi Antonelli is being sued by his former manager Giovanni Minardi ‘for millions of euros’ over an alleged unpaid fee, several sources reported. Behind the scenes, a legal battle has been raging for some time, but ahead of the Hungarian GP, the case was officially brought before the court in Bologna. Minardi claims he is entitled to compensation for his years of guidance of the Mercedes driver.
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Antonelli signed with Minardi Management in 2014, when he was only eight years old. At the age of eleven, he was offered a test through Minardi to have a chance at a spot in Ferrari’s junior program. Then team principal Maurizio Arrivabene rejected him at the time because Antonelli was considered ‘too young’. In 2018, the Italian moved to Mercedes, where he was included in the training program under the supervision of CEO and team principal Toto Wolff. At the same time, he broke ties with Minardi Management.
According to the latest reports, Minardi is demanding both compensation for his past work and damages for the termination of his mandate. Ahead of the Hungarian GP, the case was officially brought before the court in Bologna. The amounts being discussed are said to run into the millions, and a settlement still seems far off. The case revolves, among other things, around a management contract that Minardi claims to have signed with Antonelli and his parents.
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‘Minardi has suffered greatly after parting with Antonelli’
Minardi’s lawyer, Mattia Grassani, emphasizes that his client felt compelled to go to the ordinary court. “Giovanni Minardi has suffered greatly from what happened and turned to the ordinary judiciary because that was the only option,” he said in a statement. “Years of work, sacrifice, and investments in the young driver deserved much more recognition. The ordinary judiciary was the only possibility.” According to Grassani, the matter is also particularly complex. “This case has been ongoing for a year and has already had numerous hearings.”
According to Grassani, the conflict arose after Antonelli moved to Brackley. “When the driver switched to Mercedes, Antonelli’s team felt that the conditions to continue the collaboration were no longer met,” he explained. “That is where the conflict started. There were opportunities to settle the case out of court. However, the proposals made were deemed unacceptable by the former manager.” Minardi is said to be open to a settlement, but according to Grassani, no ‘compromise’ has been reached so far.
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