Kimi Antonelli in Ferrari one day tomorrow? He himself opens the door, but with a clarification
Andrea Kimi Antonelli is revealing himself as the authentic matador of the 2026 Formula 1 season, thanks to the four consecutive victories that have made him the lone leader of the drivers’ championship even to the detriment of George Russell, his teammate in Mercedes and who at the beginning of the season was considered the compulsory favorite for the title by almost all insiders. The phenomenal Bolognese has among other things the merit of having once again made Italian fans taste the flavor of a compatriot in contention for the world championship, as had not happened since the days of Michele Alboreto in 1985. Then, however, the Milanese drove for Ferrari, a hypothesis currently far from Kimi’s future. But not necessarily forever.
As much as Antonelli is a “creature” of Mercedes and in particular of team principal Toto Wolff, who has always believed in him blindly, Kimi does not rule out that in the future he may link his name to that of the Cavallino. “Ferrari is an immense team that has an incredible following and represents a brand that will forever remain in history. So who knows, never say never,” he let slip on the sidelines of the presentation of the Bandini Trophy in Brisighella.
A possible move to Ferrari, at the moment only a futuristic one, seems in any case very far off in time. “I am very happy at Mercedes and aim to win a lot with this team. They have given me a chance since I was a child, accompanying me through all the stages of my career since then. To them I feel indebted, I want to do everything I can to collect the most with them. This, first and foremost, is my current duty. Then we’ll see,” Antonelli pointed out.
Not everyone, however, looks forward to a future for Antonelli in red. Rai’s historic correspondent for Formula 1 Ezio Zermiani, interviewed by the ‘Corriere della Sera,’ spoke out sharply: “In my opinion, no, or at least I don’t wish him that. He was already in the Ferrari academy, they are the ones who dropped him. Ferrari doesn’t give me the idea of having an exceptional project but rather a mediocre one, or at least average: I think of a driver like Leclerc, straddling two generations, who has thrown away seven years of his career. The other teams are pretty much aligned, while Mercedes is ahead of everyone. For a young man like Antonelli, being there is ideal.” A point of view that is also reflected in the numbers: with 131 points in the standings and a 43-point lead over Russell after the Canadian Grand Prix, the Bolognese driver seems to have found in Mercedes the perfect habitat to express his full potential.
Antonelli’s dominance has naturally attracted attention-and a few warnings-from the great protagonists of the past. Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve wanted to warn the young driver of the risks of euphoria: “He has to keep his head cool, not to start believing too much in his own hype. It is a very dangerous thing to do. When you think you are untouchable, that’s when mistakes and trouble happen. There is a retreat, you have an accident, and suddenly you start doubting yourself.” The Canadian also stressed that the season is still long and unpredictable: “Right now he is faster than George, he is dominating him. But the season is always a roller coaster, there are good times and not so good times.”
A different tone, however, in the words of Olivier Panis, who just recently recalled his historic victory in the 1996 Monaco GP. The Frenchman has no doubts about the qualities of the young Bolognese: “Can he win the World Championship? It’s hard to say no. What he has accomplished to date is incredible. At 18 or 19 years old, he is very fast, he is very talented, he is the best right now. I believe he can become World Champion.” Words that sound like a blessing in view of the Monaco Grand Prix, the next round of the World Championship and traditionally one of the most demanding testing grounds on the entire calendar.
Echoing Panis’ enthusiasm had already been echoed in recent months by Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali, who after the Shanghai victory – Antonelli’s first win of the season – had commented with transport: “Seeing such a young boy win a Grand Prix is something extraordinary, it’s good not only for him but for our entire sport. He will have a lot of pressure now, but he will have to get used to it.” A pressure that Kimi seems to be handling with surprising maturity for his age, further fueling the rainbow dreams of an Italy that has not seen one of its drivers so high in the standings in forty years.
