Italian rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli doesn’t feel the Tifosi’s support of Ferrari has impacted the enthusiasm for his debut Formula 1 season with Mercedes.
Antonelli, 18, has filled the vacated spot at Mercedes left by Lewis Hamilton, who has been creating a buzz at Maranello since signing with Ferrari.
Ferrari has always had strong support from its adoring Tifosi, who follow the outfit with the passion usually reserved for a national football team.
Moreover, with Italy’s last F1 champion, Alberto Ascari, clinching the Drivers’ title some 72 years ago and successful Italian GP drivers few and far between since then, it could be easy to suggest that the Tifosi’s attention will remain focused on Ferrari this season and that Antonelli’s debut could be overshadowed.
With that possibility put to the teenage rookie ahead of the F1 75 launch event at London’s O2 Arena on Tuesday, Antonelli said he can feel plenty of home support ahead of his F1 debut.
“The Tifosi, they have a really strong passion for Ferrari,” Antonelli told select media including Motorsport Week.
“But I think they’re very excited for a nice Italian driver. There’s a lot of hype around already.
“I think it’s great. There’s such a positive energy and I’m really looking forward to racing most in my two home races [Imola and Monza]. Because, you know, many people are very excited.
“To be honest, I don’t really feel shadow. But, I mean, we’ll see how things get.”
Antonelli setting realistic expectations ahead of Mercedes F1 debut
On March 14-16, as F1 kicks off the 2025 campaign in Australia and Italian fans across the globe sit giddy with anticipation, hoping for a successful year from their team and driver, Antonelli will be managing his expectations.
There’s plenty of hype building around the young Italian given his quick rise through the junior single-seater ladder.
Just two years ago, the Italian was competing in Formula Regional before bypassing FIA Formula 3 to conduct a race-winning rookie F2 campaign with Prema last year.
It turns out that ahead of his rookie F1 season, Antonelli doesn’t “have a lot of expectations, to be honest.
“What I’m really going to do is try to focus on the process,” he said.
“Try to enjoy it as well. But definitely something I really want to do is start with a good rhythm and try to build from it and try to be consistent.
Of course, the mindset is always going to be the same. So try to go on track and win and do the best job possible.
“But you have to be realistic at the same time. Because the level is super competitive.
“So I’ll just try to focus on myself and try to work well with George [Russell] and the team.”
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