Long-time Ferrari star thinks Kimi Antonelli could be tempted by Scuderia switch

Long-time F1 driver Rubens Barrichello has backed Kimi Antonelli for an eventual move to Ferrari, insisting that 'every driver's dream' is to race for the Scuderia.

Since the start of his F1 career with Mercedes, Antonelli has, unsurprisingly, faced questions about whether he may one day be the man who brings glory back to the Prancing Horse and become their first Italian champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953.

He's tended to brush those questions off, having chosen the Silver Arrows as his racing home when he was just 12 years old, but Barrichello (who spent six seasons at Ferrari as Michael Schumacher's team-mate) insisted that the 20-year-old would be even more drawn to the iconic red car than any other driver on the grid.

The Brazilian, speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport at the Brazilian Grand Prix, also praised Mercedes for having the courage to push Antonelli into a full-time seat at their top tier team at such a young age.

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Barrichello had plenty of praise for the sport's youngest-ever champion, saying: "I really like him. He's fast and talented, but above all he's a nice guy, very humble.

"Mercedes did well to invest in him, because today it's easy to praise him, given that he won the World Championship, but choosing him when he was just a kid and bringing him straight to F1 with a top team was not a trivial choice, nor was it without criticism."

'Rubinho' brought up the possibility of Antonelli heading to Maranello after being asked if he had expected an Italian driver to return to the top of the sport, saying: "For many years, Italy's winning Formula 1 campaign was represented by Ferrari, not by drivers actually fighting for the title, so it was hard to imagine.

"But it's certainly beautiful to see, because Italians are huge F1 fans, and it's beautiful to see their enthusiasm. And imagine what could happen if one day he were to race for Ferrari..."

Asked if he believes that move is possible, he answered: "I think so. Every driver's dream at some point in their career is to race for Ferrari. Everyone is fascinated by the Prancing Horse; it's something that has to do not only with success, but with history. And I think Kimi, as an Italian, is even more fascinated by this than other drivers."

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