Andrea Kimi Antonelli has ended Italy’s 73-year wait for a Formula 1 world champion, but former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner believes the 20-year-old is still not receiving the recognition his achievement deserves from his home country. The reason, according to Steiner, is the deep-rooted loyalty of Italian Formula 1 supporters to Ferrari. Although Antonelli has delivered a historic championship victory for Italy, he achieved it with Mercedes rather than the Maranello team.
The situation highlights an unusual contrast for Italian motorsport. Antonelli has become the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history, securing the 2026 Drivers’ Championship at the Mexico City Grand Prix with four rounds remaining. With nine victories from the opening 18 races, the Mercedes youngster has produced an extraordinary campaign, yet Steiner believes the national celebration could have been even greater had he been driving a Ferrari.
Guenther Steiner questions Italy’s response to Kimi Antonelli’s F1 title
The newly crowned champion is the first Italian driver to win Formula 1’s ultimate prize since Alberto Ascari claimed his second world title in 1953. His success represents a landmark achievement for a country with one of the sport’s richest histories, bringing an end to more than seven decades without an Italian Drivers’ Champion.
However, Guenther Steiner believes the strong connection between Italian supporters and Ferrari has created a complicated reaction to Antonelli’s success.
The former Haas boss questioned whether the Mercedes driver was receiving sufficient respect and appreciation for what he had accomplished. In Steiner’s assessment, Italy could be celebrating its new world champion more enthusiastically, particularly considering his exceptional talent and the scale of his achievement at such a young age.
Steiner described Antonelli as both an outstanding driver and an admirable young person, but suggested that Italian Formula 1 fans have become so accustomed to supporting Ferrari that celebrating a championship won by another team does not come as naturally.
He acknowledged that this attachment to the Scuderia was understandable. Nevertheless, the former team principal emphasised that Italy now has a 20-year-old world champion whose success has been built on remarkable natural ability, regardless of the colours of the car he drives.
According to Steiner, the disappointment among some Italian supporters stems from the fact that Antonelli represents Mercedes. He pointed out that Ferrari did not provide the youngster with the opportunity that Mercedes ultimately offered, while expressing the hope that Italy would fully recognise just how exceptional its new champion is.
Indeed, Steiner suggested that Antonelli deserves to be considered among the most talented drivers currently competing in Formula 1, potentially even the most gifted of the present generation.
Kimi Antonelli’s historic Mercedes victory draws remarkable F1 reaction
While Steiner has questioned whether Italy is celebrating enthusiastically enough, Antonelli’s championship triumph received an overwhelmingly positive response within the Formula 1 paddock.
Former driver Ralf Schumacher was particularly impressed by the reaction following the Mexican Grand Prix. He indicated that he had never previously witnessed such an enthusiastic response to a driver becoming world champion.
The celebrations came after Antonelli secured the title in Mexico, where he shared the podium with Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. His championship-winning campaign has included nine victories in 18 races, allowing the Mercedes driver to settle the title battle with four Grands Prix still to contest.
That achievement makes the Italian not only a historic national champion but also Formula 1’s youngest-ever Drivers’ Champion. His rapid progression has established him as one of the sport’s leading figures at an age when many drivers are still building experience in the highest category.
For Mercedes, the success also vindicates the decision to invest in Antonelli’s development and provide him with the opportunity to compete in Formula 1.
However, the championship has inevitably revived discussion about Ferrari’s earlier opportunity to secure the Italian driver’s services.
Ferrari missed its opportunity to sign Kimi Antonelli during his junior career
Before becoming a Mercedes world champion, Andrea Kimi Antonelli attracted interest during his progression through the junior racing categories. Ferrari had an opportunity to recruit the young Italian, but Mercedes ultimately secured his services.
That decision now carries particular significance following his 2026 championship triumph. The Maranello team has watched an Italian driver reach the summit of Formula 1 with one of its major rivals, despite having had the chance to bring him into its own development programme earlier in his career.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has also reflected on how differently Antonelli’s career might have developed had he joined Ferrari.
According to Wolff, the youngster would probably have begun his Formula 1 career with a lower-ranked team, following a route similar to that of Oliver Bearman, rather than receiving the opportunity Mercedes provided.
The comparison underlines the different career paths available to promising young drivers. While Ferrari has previously developed talent through opportunities outside its works team, Mercedes placed Antonelli in a position to establish himself at the highest level.
His championship success has therefore brought renewed attention to the decisions made during his early development, as well as the possibility of a future relationship with the Scuderia.
Piero Ferrari wants Kimi Antonelli to race for the Scuderia
Despite Antonelli’s success with Mercedes, the prospect of seeing him drive for Ferrari remains an attractive one within the Maranello organisation.
Piero Ferrari, the son of founder Enzo Ferrari, has expressed his desire to bring the newly crowned world champion to the Italian team. He has indicated that seeing Antonelli compete for the Scuderia would be one of his greatest wishes.
The interest comes amid speculation throughout the 2026 season linking the Mercedes youngster with a potential future move to Ferrari.
Piero Ferrari’s enthusiasm reflects the appeal of combining an Italian world champion with the country’s most celebrated Formula 1 team. His ambition to see Kimi Antonelli driving for Ferrari has become particularly relevant following the driver’s historic championship achievement.
However, admiration from within Ferrari is not the only reason the possibility of a future move continues to attract attention.
Bernie Ecclestone predicts a future Ferrari move for Kimi Antonelli
Former Formula 1 chief Bernie Ecclestone also believes Antonelli could eventually join the Maranello team.
Ecclestone has suggested that the young champion’s attachment to his home country may ultimately influence his career decisions. In his view, Antonelli could one day choose to race for Ferrari because of his love for Italy.
That prediction adds another dimension to the discussion surrounding the Mercedes driver’s long-term future. While he has already achieved championship success with his current team, the prospect of representing Ferrari carries a different significance because of the manufacturer’s connection to Italian motorsport.
The possibility of Kimi Antonelli eventually leaving Mercedes for Ferrari therefore remains a subject of considerable interest, particularly following the comments made by Piero Ferrari and Bernie Ecclestone.
Nevertheless, those views represent hopes and predictions rather than confirmation of a future transfer.
Why an Italian world champion at Ferrari would be historically significant
Ferrari’s relationship with Italian drivers provides additional context to the discussion about Antonelli’s future.
The last Italian to compete in Formula 1 for the Maranello team was Giancarlo Fisichella, who joined Ferrari during the 2009 season as a replacement for the injured Felipe Massa.
Since then, the Scuderia has continued its Formula 1 campaigns without another Italian race driver, even as the country’s supporters have maintained their strong connection to the team.
The prospect of Antonelli eventually joining Ferrari would therefore represent more than an ordinary driver transfer. It would bring together a reigning-era Italian world champion and the manufacturer that occupies such a prominent place in the country’s sporting identity.
That emotional connection is central to Steiner’s assessment of the celebrations surrounding the 2026 championship. He believes Italian supporters are so closely associated with Ferrari that they may find it difficult to embrace a world title achieved in a Mercedes with the same enthusiasm. For now, however, Antonelli’s achievement belongs to Mercedes. The German team identified his potential, secured his services during his junior career and provided the opportunity that has culminated in a historic championship.
Steiner’s wider argument is that this distinction should not diminish the significance of what the young Italian has accomplished. At just 20 years old, Antonelli has restored Italy to the top of the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship after 73 years, becoming the youngest champion the sport has ever seen.
Whether he eventually follows the path imagined by Piero Ferrari and Bernie Ecclestone remains an open question. What is already certain is that an Italian has returned to the summit of Formula 1, even if his triumph arrived behind the wheel of a Mercedes rather than a Ferrari.
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