Oct.21 (GMM) Piero Ferrari has made little secret of how highly he rates fellow Italian Kimi Antonelli – or of how appealing a future Ferrari move would be.
Ferrari, the son of Enzo Ferrari and vice-chairman of the Maranello company, compared the Mercedes youngster to the great Ferrari champion Niki Lauda in an interview with Quotidiano Nazionale.
“Kimi reminds me of Niki, meaning Lauda,” said the 81-year-old.
“And from my point of view, that’s an extraordinary compliment, obviously well-deserved.”
Ferrari said Antonelli’s maturity has stood out most.
“Kimi, like the first Niki at Ferrari, immediately demonstrated an almost surprising maturity,” he said.
“I don’t recall the Austrian making any serious mistakes when my father entrusted him with our car. Likewise, Antonelli was able to avoid the mistakes born of inexperience.”
When asked whether Enzo Ferrari would also have liked Antonelli, he replied: “Absolutely!”
“My father knew how to appreciate a natural instinct for speed, combined with a clear mind in managing the mechanical equipment.”
“And in this, Antonelli is already a master.”
Ferrari also said Antonelli had adapted to the 2026 regulations more quickly than teammate George Russell.
“Kimi was amazing at immediately grasping the new technical regulations, with a mental quickness that perhaps his teammate Russell lacked,” he said.
And when asked directly whether Antonelli could one day drive for Ferrari, Piero Ferrari did little to cool the idea.
“I’m not a hypocrite. Who wouldn’t love to see an Italian behind the wheel of a car bearing my father’s name?”
“And I imagine that, given his roots, the boy from Bologna wouldn’t mind either.”
“Maybe one day it will happen, why not?”
His comments about Ferrari’s own 2026 season were considerably less enthusiastic.
“Our team needs action, not talk,” said Ferrari.
“This year we’ve seen some good things and some less so. We all have a duty to work towards the goal that our fans, who we must always thank for their patience, have been waiting for for so many years.”
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