Ferrari really said no to the Lionel Messi of F1

Max Verstappen, Kimi Antonelli, Red Bull, Mercedes, Bahrain, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

Ferrari

Ferrari really said no to the Lionel Messi of F1

Kimi Antonelli could have been a Ferrari star

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 2 April 2026 20:28 Updated: 20:16

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One of Ferrari's F1 rivals are currently reaping rewards from the Maranello-based outfit's indecision surrounding a huge F1 talent.

With Ferrari the most successful and iconic outfit on the F1 grid, they often get first pickings of the young talent in the karting and junior categories, particularly if they are Italian.

And it seems as though that was the case with current Italian F1 superstar Kimi Antonelli, who is taking the sport by storm as a 19-year-old.

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Following a rookie season in which there were some inconsistencies in his performances, Antonelli is now firmly in the hunt for the drivers' championship, having claimed back-to-back race victories in China and Japan.

Mercedes have the dominant car in 2026, and Antonelli appears to be in a fight against team-mate George Russell for the title, currently leading the Brit by nine points.

But could it all have been different? Well yes, for a start, Antonelli could be racing in Ferrari red.

Massimo Rivola, then director of Ferrari's driving academy, believed he'd found 'the special one' for the future when he saw an 11-year-old Antonelli competing in karting in 2018, and made his recommendations to the team.

However, team principal Maurizio Arrivabene did not heed the advice of Rivola, reportedly suggesting that Antonelli was 'too small' to be a future F1 talent - showing remarkable comparisons to what coaches said of eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi when he was young.

Toto Wolff instead took the gamble on Antonelli, and by the time he was 17, he had signed his first contract in F1 to be Russell's team-mate.

Can Antonelli bring home the championship?

Italian F1 fans are likely riding the crest of a wave at the moment, with Antonelli becoming the youngest ever driver to lead the F1 drivers' championship, and Ferrari picking up podiums in all three of the grands prix so far.

Italy has not had a serious contender for the drivers' championship arguably since Alberto Ascari won it back in 1953.

Riccardo Patrese came a very distant second in the 1992 standings, while 1978 world champion Mario Andretti was born in Italy but was a US citizen and represented the US when racing in the sport.

Antonelli has the tools to become world champion, with Mercedes the dominant team in 2026, but time will tell as to whether he can sustain a challenge all-season long against his much more experienced team-mate George Russell, and with the Ferraris and McLarens closing behind.