Whispers in Italy about Kimi Antonelli’s suitability for Ferrari

Former Ferrari bosses in Italy have noted how Andrea Kimi Antonelli would suit the famous F1 team.

Lewis Hamilton became the latest blockbuster driver signing for Ferrari this year, even if his era with the most successful team in Formula 1 history has been challenging.

Mercedes placed their faith in Antonelli, the talented teenager from Italy, as a rookie replacement for Hamilton.

Antonelli is sixth in the F1 standings after four rounds, behind both McLaren drivers, Max Verstappen, George Russell and Charles Leclerc. But he’s one place ahead of Hamilton.

His exciting driving style has caught the eye in his homeland, where it has been intriguingly noted that he would make an eye-catching Ferrari driver.

"Antonelli is a first-rate driver, I'm only sorry to see him in Mercedes,” said Luca di Montezemolo, who was Ferrari president during Michael Schumacher’s prime, to Sky Italy.

“If I would have taken him? At 18 maybe not, but a couple of years in Sauber and then..."

Stefano Domenicali, another former Ferrari boss who is now the Formula 1 CEO, also noticed Antonelli’s suitability for the iconic red car.

He told Sky Italy: "Kimi in Ferrari? An Italian driver with an Italian car...

“There is a need for a driver who, especially in today's world, represents a reference figure for the world of youth.

“So that would be really nice, but I think Toto Wolff doesn't agree so much right now." Domenicali added about Antonelli: "We have to make him grow, he is an extraordinary guy.

“Seeing him enter the paddock with his family and little sister hand in hand gives us a romantic dimension of the sport, then when he pulls down the visor he goes strong.

“Before equating him with some champions, I think it is right to wait, but the certainty is that he will become a protagonist of our world.”

Ferrari ‘very close to winning’

Ferrari head to this weekend’s F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix already under pressure to turn around a below-par start.

Leclerc and Hamilton were fourth and fifth last weekend in Bahrain, their best result of the season so far, but below pre-season dreams.

Leclerc, who bemoaned his car’s lack of pace in Bahrain, was unable to predict when Ferrari would discover more performance.

But Domenicali has a far more optimistic view.

"I see a Ferrari that is very close to those who are winning,” the F1 CEO said.

“The only advice I can give to Fred Vasseur is to continue working with your head down without feeling the weight of a pressure that is natural for those who hold that position.

“I am convinced that we will soon see Ferrari win again this year."

Domenicali said about Hamilton at Ferrari: "It's an extraordinary sporting challenge.

“Winning immediately is not trivial. I believe that his tenacity and strength is to believe and grow together with the team".