Antoine followed the footsteps of his two older siblings, the eldest Camille and the middle child Olivier , by attending primary school up to high school, where he went to Le Grand Lycée de Nice . Le Grand Lycée was the most presitigous high school in the French Riviera, allowing Antoine to build relationships with the children of socialites, executives, and the other elite. At Le Grand Lycée , Antoine studied the humanities with focuses in linguistics and philosophy. Despite his academics, which he excelled at, Antoine loved racing. Having grown up in the south of France, Antoine and his friends would attend the Monaco Grand Prix every year for as long as he could remember. As a result, Antoine became interested in racing from a young age and was able to implement his interests at the local racetrack. Racing was very popular in the south of France, especially in Monaco, but it remains a costly sport that limits children like Antoine from having the opportunity to practice. Antoine would save his weekly allowance so he could have enough money to travel to the racetrack and use the go-karts to practice his racing skills. During one of Antoine's visit to the track, he saw a poster for a Nice Youth Grand Prix open to individuals 20 years old and below. Despite only being 12 at the time, Antoine entered the competition and hurried home excitedly to prepare for the Grand Prix. If Antoine won the Grand Prix , it would be able to fund a years worth of trips to the racetrack, allowing him to further improve his racing skills.
The Nice Youth Grand Prix was set to take place on September 15th, and every day that neared closer Antoine worried that he was not skilled enough to participate. The thought of embarrasment filled his mind. His desire was to be the best racer in town, not to be known as the worst. The pressure got to Antoine multiple times, almost causing him to withdraw from the race multiple times. Luckily, Antoine's close friend, Luca, convinced him to remain in the Grand Prix , using it as a showcase of his skills. The day of the Nice Youth Grand Prix finally arrived with Antoine driving his preferred red go-kart. As the youngest racer in the Grand Prix , Antoine was at the back of the starting grid. As the flag went down, Antoine sped his way through the track, having to work harder to overcome the other racers and lead the pack. The Nice Youth Grand Prix consisted of 20 laps, giving time for Antoine to make up the difference but one mistake could cost him the race. By the 15th lap, Antoine was in 4th place, showcasing his skilled efforts to the masses in the audience. As every lap passed by, Antoine's chance of winning got slimmer and slimmer. Eventually, with 2 laps to go, the car ahead of Antoine hit the barrier and spun into another car, leaving Antoine in second place. Antoine sped up, desperate to take advantage of the golden opportunity to win the race. Antoine closed in on the driver in 1st Place with 1 lap to go. Everyone in the stands watched in awe, the 12 year old Antoine Parapluie was about to win the Nice Youth Grand Prix , one of the most competittive youth grand prixs in the world. Antoine gave it his all, reaching speeds he never reached before. With 300 feet left until the finish line, Antoine was neck and neck with the other driver. As Antoine was inching forward, the drivers needed to complete one turn before the home straight. As Antoine drifted past the other driver in the turn, one of the spectators had thrown debris into Antoine's path. As Antoine swerved around the debris, the other driver was able to overtake Antoine with 100 feet left. Antoine hurried towards the finish line, but it was too late. The other driver had won, leaving Antoine in second place in the most important race of his life. From that day on, Antoine made a promise to himself to never be second again. Members in the audience at the Nice Youth Grand Prix included several heads of driving academies that recruit young talent throughout Europe. Antoine's efforts impressed many, especially the manager of Ferrari driving academy, which frequently recruit from the area. The Ferrari Driving Academy is based in Modena, a province in Northern Italy. To learn more about the Ferrari Driving Academy visit this link .
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