Emerson Fittipaldi doesn’t mince words about Kimi Antonelli

Andrea Kimi Antonelli is getting closer and closer to the Formula 1 world title—the first for an Italian since Alberto Ascari—and among the great legends cheering him on is two-time world champion Emerson Fittipaldi.

“It’s now clear that he’ll win the title, and this is very important for Italy because they haven’t had a world champion since 1953. Italian fans will go wild even if it isn’t a Ferrari driver who wins,” predicts Fittipaldi.

To those who say Antonelli has also been lucky, the former Brazilian driver responded as follows to Betway’s microphones: “He created his own luck; he’s done very well since the start of the season and has managed to make sure that all circumstances worked in his favor.”

Nico Rosberg also spoke about Antonelli, drawing a notable comparison. In an interview with RTL, he described the driver from Bologna as “world-class, on par with Michael Schumacher.” Rosberg emphasized that Antonelli was the only one to be consistently fast, while the others alternated between mistakes and inconsistent performances. “He fully deserves the title, and no one can take it away from him now.”

The celebration could come as early as the next race, the United States Grand Prix on Sunday, October 25, in Austin. To be crowned world champion in Texas, Antonelli will have to win the race and hope that Russell finishes no higher than ninth. If the two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are canceled due to the difficult situation in the Middle East, he would only need to finish ahead of Russell or not lose more than two points.