- Italian fans celebrate Antonelli’s historic win despite his Mercedes team allegiance.
- National pride outweighs Ferrari loyalty as he becomes F1’s second youngest winner.
- Ferrari faces backlash for passing on Antonelli due to his youthful age.
According to a report, the tifosi were extremely happy to see one of their own, a non-Ferrari driver, Kimi Antonelli, become the second-youngest driver to win an F1 Grand Prix in China.
It revealed that his win was a dream come true for fans who had long wished for an Italian driver to triumph, even more than a Ferrari WCC, which has been pending for 16 years.
The report claims that Ferrari faced backlash for not signing Antonelli earlier; however, the Italian team had its reasons, largely tied to the Mercedes driver’s age and the pressure of fulfilling the tifosi’s long-standing expectations.
Tifosi are happy but wish Antonelli raced for Ferrari
There has been a wave of happiness among the tifosi ever since Antonelli achieved two historic milestones during the Chinese GP weekend: becoming the youngest pole-sitter in F1 history and the second-youngest driver after Max Verstappen to win a Grand Prix.
A report by Soy Motor states that despite Antonelli being a Mercedes driver, the tifosi are delighted as they have long awaited a win by an Italian driver. It adds that this wait has felt longer than their desire for Ferrari to win a WCC.
“Italian fans are surely buzzing. Antonelli’s victory is something they’ve been hoping for for a long time, and above all, they’re now dreaming of another Italian drivers’ title, something that hasn’t happened in almost ancient times. The last Italian champion was Alberto Ascari in 1953… 73 years ago!” it noted.
The report suggests that the fanbase is currently divided. On one hand, there is a driver from their own nation representing hope and ambition.
On the other hand, there is Ferrari, a team regarded almost as a religion in Italy, which hasn’t won a title in 16 years. Given Mercedes’ current form, there are concerns that the WCC could once again slip away from the Prancing Horse.
The report also highlights the criticism Ferrari received for not signing Antonelli. However, it explains that the decision was influenced by the “double burden” of performance and national expectation. Had Antonelli joined Ferrari, it would have represented the tifosi’s “ultimate dream.”
Why Ferrari didn’t take Antonelli
Aside from the double burden, Ferrari believed Antonelli was too young to join the team. This was mentioned by Giovanni Minardi, former owner of the Minardi F1 team, who played a key role in the early stages of the driver’s career. Speaking to Gazzetta, he revealed that Antonelli had two options at the time: Ferrari or Mercedes.
He explained that both he and Antonelli’s father had to decide in the driver’s best interest. While Ferrari had concerns about his age, Mercedes offered stronger long-term prospects. In 2025, he officially joined the German team on a one-year contract to replace Lewis Hamilton.
At the time, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff faced massive criticism for signing an inexperienced and young driver. However, Wolff stood firm in his decision and placed trust in Antonelli’s talent.
Antonelli has since lived up to expectations, performing impressively in his debut season and continuing to showcase glimpses of his talent this year. The best example is his latest win, which is set to go down in the history of F1.
