BREAKING NEWS: KIMI ANTONELLI HANDED UNEXPECTED PERSONAL NEWS AHEAD OF…..SEE MORE IN COMMENT

BREAKING NEWS: KIMI ANTONELLI HANDED UNEXPECTED PERSONAL NEWS AHEAD OF…..SEE MORE IN COMMENT 

Mercedes’ 19-year-old star Kimi Antonelli will head into the 2026 Formula 1 season without his longtime girlfriend by his side. Eliska Babickova, a Czech karting driver and social media personality, confirmed on Instagram in late February that she had ended their two-year relationship. The pair reportedly started dating in October 2023, just as Antonelli was crowned Italian F4 champion and before he stepped up to F2. Babickova said the split was “quite recent” and that throughout February they had been “trying to figure stuff out”.
     In a video to her 168,000+ followers, Babickova moved to shut down speculation. “Yes, we did break up. I was the one to end the relationship because I felt that we no longer aligned in our personal lives and in what we wanted for our future,” she said. She also rejected rumors of infidelity: “There’s no massive drama. No other men, no other women, no cheating. Other people were never the problem”. Babickova added that she had seen “so much speculation and fake narratives and news” and wanted to “set the record straight”. Antonelli himself has not publicly commented on the split.
The timing comes as Antonelli prepares for what could be a breakthrough year. After finishing seventh in the Drivers’ Championship in his rookie 2025 season with three podiums, the Italian is tipped as a title contender in 2026 with Mercedes expected to be strong under new regulations. Team principal Toto Wolff and Mercedes are known for supporting drivers off-track as well as on it, and all eyes will be on Antonelli when the season opens in Melbourne. With the personal chapter now closed, Antonelli’s challenge will be converting his potential into consistency as he lines up alongside George Russell for Mercedes’ first real title push since the hybrid era.