At just 19 years old, Andrea Kimi Antonelli seems barely old enough to have a driver's license. But instead of cruising around town with friends, he's driving over 200 miles per hour through the streets of major cities as a Formula One (F1) racer.
The Italian driver, who prefers to be called Kimi, isn't just an also ran either—he's already won won five Grand Prix races since his 2025 debut with Team Mercedes.
Despite holding 13 F1 records—11 related to his age—Antonelli isn't making international headlines for his Grand Prix winning streak—a record-setting five in a row—or any of his other on track accomplishments.
Antonelli is in the news because of a towel.
More specifically, Kimi Antonelli recently made headlines outside the sports world because of who stole his cool down towel from the winners stand at the Monaco Grand Prix, a race he won on June 7 to hit five straight victories and first place in the F1 season's points race.
Reality TV star and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian, who has been linked to British F1 racer Lewis Hamilton, took a stroll through the racing paddock on race day in Monaco, picked up a towel along the way to wipe her face, then walked off with it.
The theft was caught on camera.
In response, Antonelli took to TikTok and Instagram with his Mercedes teammate, British driver George Russell, to inquire about his missing equipment.
In a second video, Antonelli recapped his post race activities, including a jump in the Mediterranean Sea and hitting the town with Monaco's rulers, Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene.
But they were still looking for his towel.
People found the response to Kardashian's sticky fingers hilarious and played along in the comments.
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Kardashian apparently appreciated the humor of the situation as well, and made amends by gifting Antonelli a new towel, embroidered with the message "to Kimi from Kim" and tied with a ribbon.
All is forgiven, it seems.
Maybe Kardashian can expand her Skims shapewear line to include towels.
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