Kimi Antonelli: Bernie Ecclestone’s remarks are sparking debate

Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone stated in an interview with F1-Insider that he is certain about the future of Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the new world champion who won the title at just 20 years old behind the wheel of a Mercedes. According to the former F1 boss, the driver from Bologna will soon move to Ferrari.

“Ferrari has no choice—they have to sign him. Kimi’s heart beats for Italy, and if he keeps winning—and I’m convinced he will—he’ll move to Ferrari out of love for his country.” Ecclestone drew a comparison between the Italian and Verstappen: “I don’t know him as well as I know Max, but I think he’ll become another Max. He wants to win and will win at any cost; he’s just like Max in that he gets in the car with only one thought in mind: to win.”

“I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him yet,” Ecclestone continued. “We’ll be surprised by just how good he’ll become. In two or three years, he’ll become another Max. He needs to face some tough moments to toughen his character. And since he’s so young, he can easily break all the records.”

Meanwhile, Antonelli shows no signs of slowing down. At Interlagos, in the São Paulo Grand Prix, after finishing second behind Lando Norris in FP1, he topped FP2 with a time of 1’10″763, 253 thousandths ahead of Norris and 259 thousandths ahead of Max Verstappen. It was a lackluster day for Ferrari, however, as they failed to make the top five: Hamilton was sixth, 450 thousandths behind the leader, and Charles Leclerc was seventh, 720 thousandths behind.