Skiing legend Alberto Tomba backs Kimi Antonelli: “The Ferrari move will come”. Italian skiing icon Alberto Tomba praises Mercedes star Kimi Antonelli following his maiden F1 victory..

Legendary alpine skier Alberto Tomba has praised the talent of Kimi Antonelli and has even “reserved” him a future seat at Ferrari. For now, however, the Scuderia can wait, according to the Italian icon. It has now been a week since Antonelli’s extraordinary victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, “the first of many,” as the young Mercedes driver himself hoped immediately after the race.

Will he be able to repeat that success in Japan? It is still too early to say. In the meantime, the Bologna-born talent continues to receive praise from a wide range of sporting figures.

Tomba, nicknamed “La Bomba” by international media for his aggressive style on the slopes, had only words of admiration for Antonelli. In an interview with Corriere di Bologna, he revealed that the two will soon meet in person for the first time.

“We’ve been messaging these days with his father to organize it,” he said, confirming that the meeting is imminent. “We’ll go for dinner together soon.”

Despite his young age, Alberto Tomba has no doubts about Kimi Antonelli’s talent and predicts a future career with Ferrari: “He was truly outstanding. I hear people saying it’s a shame not to have him at Ferrari, but maybe he will get there in the future.”

He also urged patience, reminding everyone of the Mercedes driver’s age and emphasizing that there is no need to put pressure on him: “He is only 19 years old, let’s give him time. For now, he already deserves everything.”

After two races, Kimi Antonelli comfortably sits in second place in the 2026 Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship standings. The next stop is Japan, followed by a full month-long break before the championship resumes in Miami. This pause, it should be noted, comes after the cancellation of the races in the Middle East, namely Jeddah and Bahrain, due to the current geopolitical situation in the region.

The endorsement from a sporting titan like Alberto Tomba further cements Kimi Antonelli’s status as the new face of Italian motorsport. While the dream of seeing him in a Ferrari remains a popular talking point, his current form at Mercedes suggests he is exactly where he needs to be to develop without the weight of Maranello on his shoulders. Based on the content of his performance in Shanghai, the “month of rest” ahead might be the only thing capable of slowing down his incredible momentum.