Former Ferrari president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo has expressed his hope that Andrea Kimi Antonelli will one day race for the Scuderia, while backing the newly crowned 2026 Formula 1 World Champion to follow in the footsteps of Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. The Italian executive has been deeply impressed by the Mercedes driver’s historic achievement at just 20 years old, although he admits he would have preferred to see the youngster achieve his success wearing Ferrari red.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli secured his first Formula 1 world title at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, confirming his place among the sport’s youngest and most successful rising talents. His achievement has generated enormous pride in Italy, with Luca Cordero di Montezemolo among those offering particularly enthusiastic congratulations to the Bologna-born driver.
Luca di Montezemolo hopes Kimi Antonelli can match Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton
On several occasions, former Ferrari president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo has praised the exceptional qualities of Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who has now become Formula 1 World Champion at the age of just 20.
His admiration was evident once again following the Mexico City Grand Prix, where the Mercedes driver made history by securing the championship. Speaking in an interview with Gr Parlamento, the former Ferrari chief went as far as placing the young Italian among the sport’s all-time greats.
“As far as I’m concerned, I already consider him one of the all-time greats because of the way he won, completely dominating his team-mate Russell,” Luca Cordero di Montezemolo declared.
“I hope he wins as much as Schumacher and Hamilton, but let’s keep our feet on the ground. We shouldn’t put too much pressure on him. He has a great career ahead of him, also thanks to his family environment. What we’ve seen is something we’ve never seen before with other drivers.”
The comparison with Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton is particularly significant given their extraordinary achievements in Formula 1. Both drivers have won seven Drivers’ World Championships, setting the benchmark that Andrea Kimi Antonelli would have to match to reach the same level of championship success.
For Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, who presided over some of Ferrari’s greatest achievements during the Michael Schumacher era, the young Italian’s performance has already demonstrated exceptional potential. Nevertheless, his message also included a warning against placing excessive expectations on a driver whose Formula 1 career is still at an early stage.
Former Ferrari president dreams of Kimi Antonelli joining Maranello
Despite his enthusiasm for Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s success, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo admitted to feeling a degree of regret that the new world champion is representing Mercedes rather than Ferrari.
It is a sentiment shared by some supporters of the Prancing Horse, particularly given the circumstances surrounding the Italian driver’s early development and his eventual decision to pursue a career with the German manufacturer.
“I’m sorry I haven’t seen him behind the wheel of a Ferrari, but he would have faced pressure. Let’s hope that in a few years he can sit in the red car, but as Italians we should all be happy,” the former Ferrari president explained.
The possibility of Andrea Kimi Antonelli eventually joining Ferrari has already generated considerable discussion. Maranello previously had an opportunity to bring the youngster into its driver development programme, but former team principal Maurizio Arrivabene explained why Ferrari decided against signing him at such a young age.
More recently, speculation surrounding a potential future move to Maranello has continued following the Mercedes driver’s remarkable rise. Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher has also raised the possibility of Andrea Kimi Antonelli joining Ferrari after his championship success with Mercedes.
For Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, however, the immediate priority is celebrating an extraordinary achievement for Italian motorsport, even if the championship-winning car carries the colours of a rival team.
Montezemolo praises Kimi Antonelli’s family, humility and maturity
Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, who is now a member of McLaren’s Board of Directors, also wanted to congratulate Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s family, highlighting the importance of their support throughout his development.
Drawing a parallel with Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner, the former Ferrari president emphasised the positive influence of a strong and united family environment on the young driver’s character and achievements.
“Like Sinner, Kimi is fortunate to have a genuine, united family behind him. The wonderful thing about this young man is the simplicity and humility with which he has presented himself to the public. He never gives up and never loses heart.”
“He is really impressive, with the opportunity to rely on his family, whom I congratulate because they represent his strength.”
Beyond the results themselves, it is Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s personality that has particularly impressed the former Ferrari president. His ability to remain humble and determined while dealing with the pressures of Formula 1 has become one of the defining features of his rapid rise.
Those qualities, combined with the support of his family, have helped the Mercedes driver navigate an extraordinarily demanding period in his young career, culminating in his first world championship.
Why Kimi Antonelli’s difficult 2025 season helped him become F1 champion
In the final part of his interview, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo reflected on Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s development since entering Formula 1 in 2025, explaining why his debut campaign played such an important role in preparing him for championship success.
Rather than viewing the challenges of his first year as a disadvantage, the former Ferrari president believes they provided the experience necessary to make the most of a more competitive car in 2026.
“He was able to complete his apprenticeship. The work he did last year was fundamental to this year’s triumph. He never lost heart, and another fortunate aspect was that he spent his first season in a car that wasn’t capable of winning.”
“The car is extremely important, and Antonelli has demonstrated that, with the best car, he is better than his team-mate.”
The reference to George Russell highlights Luca Cordero di Montezemolo’s admiration for the way Andrea Kimi Antonelli has performed within Mercedes, particularly now that the team has provided him with machinery capable of fighting for the championship.
His assessment emphasises the combination of experience gained during a challenging debut campaign and the opportunity to demonstrate his abilities in a competitive car.
However, despite celebrating the Italian driver’s success and recognising the role Mercedes has played in his development, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo could not entirely set aside his affection for Ferrari.
“I would have preferred, however, for him to have brought that likeability to Ferrari rather than Mercedes.”
It was a final expression of the former president’s attachment to Maranello and his hope that Andrea Kimi Antonelli might eventually represent the Italian team.
For now, the 20-year-old has achieved his first world championship with Mercedes, while Ferrari can only contemplate the possibility of welcoming him to Maranello at some point in the future. As Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has already addressed the prospect of an eventual Ferrari move, the idea remains an intriguing possibility rather than a confirmed development.
For Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s championship represents an extraordinary achievement for Italian motorsport, one he hopes will be followed by further success and, perhaps one day, a chapter in Ferrari’s history.
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