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Motorsport

Lydia Mee

F1 confirms fans' suspicions as behind-the-scenes Kimi Antonelli footage is released

Kimi Antonelli F1 Mercedes George Russell Lewis Hamilton Barcelona

Formula 1 has released behind-the-scenes footage confirming what eagle-eyed fans had suspected on Friday: that Kimi Antonelli had sneaked into the Barcelona grandstands, hiding behind a Spider-Man mask and a Mercedes hoodie.

While the Italian driver sat out of the first practice session ahead of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix to allow reserve driver Frederik Vesti an outing, cameras panned to the crowds, showing someone sitting in a Mercedes hoodie and a Spider-Man mask.

As photos of the moment quickly flooded social media, many identified it as an undercover Antonelli. Some likened it to the moment his Mercedes team-mate George Russell wore a traditional lucha libre wrestling mask as he sneaked into the stadium section of the grandstands to watch the on-track action during FP1 at the 2025 Mexico Grand Prix.

Now, F1 has shed light on the moment in a new video. "Hey guys, as you know, I'm not doing FP1 today, but I'm going to be going around the track as Spider-Man," the current championship leader told the camera. "I'm going to check out some cars."

The video showed Antonelli joining fans in the grandstands to watch the on-track action. "Oh my god, did I go on the broadcast or not?" Antonelli asked afterwards.

Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Mantonelli 🕷️

Kimi goes undercover in FP1 in Barcelona 👀#F1 #BarcelonaGP @MercedesAMGF1 pic.twitter.com/1bXZUvQiQb
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 12, 2026

"That was cheeky. When that came on the broadcast. I thought that the guy looked familiar!" one fan commented, while another added: "That's fun! Keep the good sense of humour!"

Further reactions included: "The mask was small for his face! Mercedes should have brought a bigger one!" and "He's doing sidequests now when he has a good lead."

Antonelli currently leads the drivers' championship by 66 points over seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in second. Russell follows in third, two points behind Hamilton.

The Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix could mark Antonelli's six consecutive win if he is able to continue his impressive winning streak.