Riccardo Patrese says Kimi Antonelli to Ferrari could happen – but not soon

Riccardo Patrese believes Andrea Kimi Antonelli could one day drive for Ferrari, but the former Formula 1 driver insists patience will be required before the Italian is seen wearing red. For now, he believes Andrea Kimi Antonelli should prioritise his own sporting interests and make the most of the winning opportunity Mercedes has given him.

Could Kimi Antonelli and Ferrari eventually come together?

The question of whether Andrea Kimi Antonelli or Ferrari will win a world title first is close to being settled, in what would represent wonderful news for Italian motorsport. Italy is approaching the prospect of celebrating a new Formula 1 world champion 73 years after Alberto Ascari.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli could mathematically celebrate the championship as early as this weekend at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, although the more likely date is Sunday, 1 November, when the Mexico City Grand Prix takes place. The remaining mathematical possibilities can also be explored through the F1 Championship Points Calculator.

Ferrari, meanwhile, will have to postpone their hopes of ending a championship drought dating back to 2008 until at least 2027. Against that backdrop, Riccardo Patrese was asked whether the all-Italian combination of Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Ferrari could eventually become reality.

Riccardo Patrese says Mercedes will want to keep Kimi Antonelli

“I really like the idea. But first and foremost he has to think about his own interests, because in F1 there isn’t much room for ‘sentiment’. Even if you would like to be a Ferrari driver, if you are driving a car that is more competitive than Ferrari’s, that gives you the opportunity to win. And so you stay with them,” Riccardo Patrese told Casinostugan.

“A long time from now, he could probably think about moving to Ferrari, as Lewis Hamilton did. But it is certainly not something that will happen tomorrow. I don’t know the exact terms of his contract with Toto Wolff, but Mercedes gave him a huge amount of support to get where he is now, and they certainly want to keep him with them.”