Kimi Antonelli says the reception from tifosi at last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix spurred him on, as speculation continues over whether the young Mercedes driver could one day switch to Ferrari.
The 20-year-old title-leader put up a sensational performance at the ‘Temple of Speed’, recovering from an engine change grid penalty to take victory ahead of teammate George Russell.
Antonelli’s superb race was met with appreciation from the partisan crowd, that was, of course, cheering for a Ferrari victory.
It has been 17 years since Ferrari has had its own Italian F1 driver, when Giancarlo Fisichella signed up to cover the injured Felipe Massa. And the Scuderia must go back 34 years since its last full-time home driver, when it signed Ivan Capelli for the 1992 season.
Speaking to automoto.it, the Bologna-born driver said the atmosphere at Monza had been a rare high point of his season, describing his home podium as the most beautiful of the year.
He said hearing the crowd sing the Italian anthem and chant his name in unison had given him goosebumps, and that the crowd’s energy “gave me the push to try to do even better.”
Ferrari ‘should have done the job years ago’
The result has inevitably reignited talk of whether Antonelli could eventually make the move to Ferrari, a switch that would come with intense scrutiny given his nationality.
For now, the driver was keen to shut that speculation down, stressing his loyalty to the team that has backed him since he was a pre-teen. He said Mercedes had shown faith in him from the age of 12 and had guided his development ever since, adding that he hopes to deliver more success for the team going forward.
Pressed further, Antonelli didn’t fully close the door on a future move but said his current focus was on winning as much as possible with Mercedes.
Team Principal Toto Wolff addressed the Ferrari interest directly when asked by Belgian outlet RTBF, acknowledging that the Scuderia’s admiration for the championship leader was well known.
He argued the timing was telling, noting: “Ferrari should have done the job six or seven years ago” rather than only now recognising Antonelli’s talent, who has driven for Mercedes’ junior programme since he was 11. Wolff added that Ferrari would inevitably do all it could to secure an Italian driver.
For now, both driver and team are presenting a united front — but with Antonelli leading the championship and Ferrari’s interest an open secret, the story is unlikely to go away.
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