A Bolognese at Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli brought Italy back to the top of the podium of a Formula 1 race after almost 20 years, with a wonderful victory at the Chinese Grand Prix. A deserved success, which confirms all that talent pushed Toto Wolff to choose him as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement – record holder of world titles (cohabiting with Michael Schumacher), victories, pole positions and podiums in Formula 1.
Of course Italian fans find their hearts split in halfbetween the timeless love for Ferrari and this young hope of our local motor racing, who drives for the little-loved rivals Mercedes.
In a recent interview with Corriere dello Sport, Antonelli intelligently responded to this topic: “I don’t want to overshadow any myth, Ferrari remains Ferrari, immense. I understand all the love for the Red, but it’s nice that the fans know that I found a family in Mercedes, who chose me when I was a teenager and put me in a position to grow as best I could“.
Why doesn’t Antonelli race for Ferrari?
Was there really a chance for Andrea Kimi Antonelli to join his path with that of Ferrari? Yes, and that was nine years ago.
Luca Cordero di Montezemolo to Sky he recalled: “I’m very angry that he’s not at Ferrari. I have to tell the truth: I’m very sorry, because I know that Massimo Rivola wanted to choose him“.
Not only did he want to choose him, but Ferrari arrived before Mercedes.
Antonelli to Sports Mediaset he explained: “I had had contact with Ferrari. I was very young, I was 10-11 years old. But Mercedes wanted to take a risk At the end of 2017 Toto contacted us and told us that he wanted us in the Academy, I am very grateful to him.”
Story confirmed by Giovanni Minardiat the Gazzetta dello Sport: “We started working to bring him into an Academy as soon as possible. We spoke with both Ferrari and Mercedesit was necessary to move well and choose who could give the greatest guarantees. For Ferrari, Kimi was still too smallinstead Mercedes could have given better guarantees on a future perspective.”
If Massimo Rivola – then head of the Ferrari Driver Academy – wanted to choose Antonelli, who was it that said no? His father Marco, al., told it in 2025 Rest of the Pug: “He was called up to Ferrari as the promise of karting, noted by Massimo Rivola. Kimi was 11 years old, he also tried the Maranello simulator, the one reserved for Academy kids. Everything was fine. Except that Maurizio Arrivabene, who headed the racing department at the time, said that my baby was still too small. A few months later Mercedes contacted us and you know the rest of the story…”.
