Piero Ferrari believes his father, Enzo Ferrari, might have resisted signing Kimi Antonelli despite recognising the young Mercedes driver’s exceptional talent. The reason has little to do with driving ability and everything to do with the enormous pressure placed on Italian drivers representing Ferrari, a concern that shaped the legendary founder’s approach to choosing drivers.
Kimi Antonelli’s emergence as one of Formula 1’s leading talents has naturally encouraged speculation about whether the Bologna-born driver could eventually race for the Scuderia. Having become Italy’s first Grand Prix winner in 20 years, the Mercedes driver has given Italian motorsport supporters a new homegrown star capable of competing at the highest level.
Although Kimi Antonelli has repeatedly expressed his satisfaction with Mercedes, he has not completely ruled out the possibility of representing Ferrari in the future. Such a move would undoubtedly carry enormous significance for the Tifosi, but Piero Ferrari has explained why his father might have approached the prospect with considerable caution.
Why Enzo Ferrari became reluctant to sign Italian drivers
During a conversation with Formula 1 journalist Leo Turrini for Quotidiano Nazionale, Piero Ferrari discussed the possibility of Kimi Antonelli eventually joining the Maranello team and reflected on the principles that influenced his father’s decisions.
When asked whether Enzo Ferrari would have appreciated the young Italian’s abilities, Piero Ferrari gave an unequivocally positive assessment. However, he immediately highlighted an important distinction between admiring a driver’s talent and deciding to place that driver behind the wheel of a Ferrari.
According to Piero Ferrari, his father reached a point in his career when he deliberately stopped supporting Italian drivers for seats with the Scuderia. That decision was closely connected to the tragic death of Lorenzo Bandini, who suffered fatal injuries following an accident at the Monaco Grand Prix in 1967.
The tragedy had a profound influence on Enzo Ferrari’s thinking. His son explained that the founder came to recognise the immense expectations placed on an Italian competing in Ferrari’s famous red cars. In his view, those pressures could sometimes become unbearable.
The combination of national pride, intense public attention and the responsibility of representing Italy’s most famous racing team created demands extending well beyond performance on the circuit. For Enzo Ferrari, avoiding that additional burden became an important consideration when selecting drivers.
It is this historical concern that Piero Ferrari believes could have complicated a potential move for Kimi Antonelli, even if his father had admired the Mercedes driver’s speed and temperament.
Michele Alboreto was Enzo Ferrari’s notable exception
The reluctance to appoint Italian drivers was not an absolute rule throughout the remainder of Enzo Ferrari’s life. Piero Ferrari recalled that his father eventually made an exception by bringing Michele Alboreto to Maranello towards the end of his career.
Alboreto became one of the most significant Italian drivers in the team’s modern history, competing for Ferrari between 1984 and 1988. His strongest campaign came in 1985, when he challenged Alain Prost for the Formula 1 World Championship before ultimately finishing runner-up.
Piero Ferrari believes Michele Alboreto deserved to become World Champion, reflecting the high regard in which the Italian driver was held by the Ferrari family. His achievements also demonstrated why Enzo Ferrari had been willing to reconsider his earlier reluctance.
The relationship between the driver and the team remains an important chapter in Maranello’s history. Piero Ferrari has previously recalled Michele Alboreto’s dedication to Ferrari and the qualities that made him such a respected figure within the organisation.
The Italian’s challenge against Alain Prost in 1985 remains the closest an Italian driver has come to winning the Drivers’ Championship with Ferrari since that period. His Ferrari Formula 1 career records provide further context for his victories, podium finishes and championship performances during five seasons with the Scuderia.
Piero Ferrari praises Kimi Antonelli’s natural driving ability
Despite explaining his father’s reservations about Italian drivers, Piero Ferrari made it clear that Kimi Antonelli possesses qualities Enzo Ferrari would have valued highly.
He explained that his father particularly appreciated drivers who combined an instinctive sense of speed with the mental clarity required to control a racing car effectively. In Piero Ferrari’s assessment, the young Mercedes driver has already demonstrated exceptional ability in precisely those areas.
That endorsement carries particular significance given the remarkable progress Kimi Antonelli has made during his relatively short Formula 1 career. His victories and emergence as a World Championship contender have established him among the leading drivers of the 2026 season.
His growing popularity in Italy has also revived discussion about the relationship between national identity and Ferrari’s unique position in Formula 1. The possibility of an Italian competing successfully for the Maranello team has long held particular emotional importance for supporters, a subject also explored in our examination of how Kimi Antonelli’s rise is influencing Ferrari fandom in Italy.
For Piero Ferrari, however, the admiration surrounding the Mercedes driver does not remove the practical considerations involved in a possible transfer.
Could Kimi Antonelli eventually leave Mercedes for Ferrari?
Asked whether Kimi Antonelli might one day join Ferrari, Piero Ferrari acknowledged that several factors would influence such a decision. Existing contracts and commitments would have to be respected, meaning that any possible move would depend on circumstances extending beyond the wishes of the driver or the Italian supporters.
Nevertheless, the 81-year-old did not attempt to conceal his personal enthusiasm for the idea. He acknowledged that seeing an Italian racing for the team bearing his father’s name would be an attractive prospect and suggested that Kimi Antonelli’s own Italian roots might make the opportunity appealing to him as well.
While Piero Ferrari did not predict that a transfer would happen, he remained open to the possibility of the Mercedes driver eventually joining the Scuderia.
That position creates an interesting contrast with the philosophy Enzo Ferrari adopted following Lorenzo Bandini’s death. The founder’s reluctance was rooted in concern for the pressures facing Italian drivers, whereas his son can appreciate both those historical reservations and the emotional appeal of seeing another Italian compete for Ferrari.
For now, Kimi Antonelli remains committed to Mercedes, where his performances have already established him as a major figure in Formula 1. A future move to Maranello remains a possibility rather than an established plan.
What is clear from Piero Ferrari’s reflections is that the prospect would carry more significance than an ordinary driver transfer. It would reconnect Ferrari with an important part of its history while reviving the very expectations that once made Enzo Ferrari cautious about placing Italian drivers behind the wheel of his cars.
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