Kimi Antonelli to Ferrari? F1 giants dream of Italian sensation in red

Kimi Antonelli

Kimi Antonelli to Ferrari? F1 giants dream of Italian sensation in red

The brilliant teenager ended a long Italian win drought

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Thursday 19 March 2026 08:00 Updated: 12:28

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Kimi Antonelli ended a wait of almost 20 years for an F1 race win by an Italian driver, but could he one day also restore the fortunes of its greatest team?

You have to go back to 2006 and Giancarlo Fisichella in Malaysia to find an Italian topping the podium but that drought was ended by the brilliant Antonelli in China on Sunday.

The Mercedes starlet was imperious as he claimed pole position on Saturday, capitalising on the mechanical issues which limited team-mate George Russell to one flying lap in Q3.

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A day later and the 19-year-old was almost flawless (he was well clear when a late lock-up provided a momentary cause for panic) as he claimed his maiden win.

Ferrari crying out for title glory

The lack of Italian driver success in F1 is mirrored by the lack of championship for Ferrari, a team woven so tightly into the country’s psyche that you can almost feel the pain its tifosi currently feel.

Not since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007 has a driver wearing the red of Ferrari been world champion. Not since 2008 has the red car claimed a Constructors’ title.

So far the marquee signing of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has failed to deliver the expected results, while the speed and brilliance of his team-mate Charles Leclerc has been largely wasted by under-performing cars and questionable team strategy.

While Hamilton and Leclerc represent the present for the Prancing Horse, could Antonelli, the prodigious teen from Bologna, be its long-term future?

While that may be only a distant dream right now for the Scuderia, vice-chairman Piero Ferrari admitted in a recent media interview that it is a valid one.

Antonelli in red - 'it's not forbidden to dream'

When asked by Corriere dello Sport if it is forbidden to dream of seeing Antonelli in red one day, he admitted: "It's not forbidden. There have been Italians at Ferrari, and the last one who tried, a dear friend, Michele Alboreto, didn't succeed. Antonelli has already proven he deserves top-flight cars: with a little experience, he'll certainly become a great driver."

The current: Leclerc and Hamilton

The failure of Ferrari to so far give Leclerc the car and support to become world champion looms larger every single season, and it is something that Piero himself wants to put right.

“He's a very fast driver, and his comparisons with his teammates have shown this. He extracts performance from any car at any time.

“For me, he's a given; all we need is the satisfaction of seeing him become world champion, because he deserves it, and also because of his great dedication to Ferrari."

As for Hamilton, the British superstar struggled mightily in his first season at Maranello. Leading many experts to wonder if he will ultimately fail to deliver a title in red, just like fellow greats Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel.

Piero admitted: "Yes, I think Ferrari emotionally moves something even in great champions. Lewis is profoundly different from Charles, but I struggle to say whether he's been overshadowed by the legend of the Prancing Horse."

F1 Ferrari Mercedes Kimi Antonelli