Kimi Antonelli’s extraordinary start to the 2026 Formula 1 season has inevitably revived speculation about whether Italy’s newest motorsport star could eventually race for Ferrari. The Mercedes driver has won six of the opening 11 Grands Prix and built a 50-point championship advantage, placing him firmly at the centre of the 2026 battle between Mercedes and Ferrari.
That margin might have been even greater without mechanical problems. Antonelli was running second when reliability intervened in Barcelona, while his retirement in Great Britain came in circumstances where he was considered likely to have been in contention for victory. Mercedes therefore has every reason to regard the Italian as a central part of its future, but his nationality and rapid rise mean questions about Ferrari are unlikely to disappear.
Kimi Antonelli Ferrari move talk grows despite his Mercedes loyalty
Antonelli has previously described Ferrari as an immense Formula 1 team and acknowledged that the future can never be predicted completely. However, he has also made his immediate priorities clear. The Italian wants to achieve major success with Mercedes and feels a strong sense of responsibility towards the organisation that brought him into its development programme when he was only 12 years old. His position on a possible future switch was also reflected when Antonelli previously discussed Ferrari while reaffirming his commitment to Mercedes.
His history with Maranello nevertheless adds another layer to the story. Ferrari passed on the opportunity to recruit Antonelli before he joined Mercedes, although different explanations have emerged for that decision. One version suggests that his physical size was considered an issue at the time, while another points to Ferrari not having the necessary junior infrastructure to accommodate him. A journalist has also claimed that objections from Ferrari’s tobacco sponsors played a part.
Whatever the reason for that earlier decision, Ferrari is now portrayed as taking a very different view of Antonelli’s potential. Reports in May indicated that the company’s owners had issued a directive to bring the Italian to Maranello as soon as an opportunity became available. His possible future with the Scuderia has already generated considerable discussion, including debate among Ferrari supporters over a potential Antonelli move.
Leo Turrini expects Kimi Antonelli to race for Ferrari one day
Veteran Italian journalist Leo Turrini has gone further than simply describing Antonelli as a possible Ferrari target. Turrini is convinced that the move will eventually happen and believes driving for the Maranello team is something Antonelli privately dreams about, even if the Mercedes driver is not in a position to express such an ambition publicly.
Turrini did not attempt to predict when a move could take place, pointing out that Antonelli is not yet 20 years old and therefore has a potentially long Formula 1 career ahead of him. He also stressed that signing a leading driver would not be enough by itself, because championship success ultimately requires a competitive car. Even so, Turrini maintained that he expects Antonelli to become a Ferrari driver eventually and believes such a moment would carry enormous significance in Italy.
The geographical connection only strengthens the narrative. Antonelli was born in Bologna, while Ferrari’s headquarters are located in Maranello, with both cities situated in the Emilia-Romagna region that has such a deep association with Italian motorsport.
Max Verstappen also features in Ferrari’s long-term driver picture
Antonelli is not the only leading Formula 1 driver to have been connected with Ferrari’s longer-term plans. Max Verstappen has also been mentioned as a possible future option, with a theoretical vacancy potentially opening as early as 2028 if Lewis Hamilton retires and Verstappen chooses to end his time with Red Bull. The Dutchman’s future has already produced separate speculation over a possible Ferrari switch in 2028.
Verstappen has indicated that sporting performance, rather than simply Ferrari’s name and history, would determine whether such a move interested him. His position is that joining the Scuderia would only make sense if it offered him the opportunity to win.
Turrini nevertheless believes Verstappen understands the special significance attached to becoming world champion with Ferrari. In the Italian journalist’s view, delivering a title for the team after such a long wait would give the achievement a unique status, although he acknowledged that recognising Ferrari’s attraction and actually imagining Verstappen wearing red remain very different things.
Ferrari’s attraction remains powerful despite its title drought
World champion Lando Norris has also indicated that only one Formula 1 team could potentially tempt him away from McLaren, with Ferrari considered a possible reference behind that remark. There has been no confirmation that Norris specifically meant the Scuderia, so the connection remains speculative.
Ferrari has not won either Formula 1 championship since securing the Constructors’ title in 2008, yet its ability to attract speculation around the sport’s biggest names remains undiminished. Antonelli’s rise with Mercedes now adds an especially compelling Italian dimension to that long-term driver-market discussion, even while his immediate objective remains winning with the team that has backed his career since childhood.
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