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Andrea Kimi Antonelli became the first Italian driver to win a Formula 1 race in 20 years when he took the chequered flag at the Chinese Grand Prix.
The tifosi, Italy’s die-hard group of Formula 1 fans, have been starved of success ever since Ferrari won the 2008 constructors’ championship.
The likes of Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel arrived at Ferrari hoping to add to their championship tally, only to be denied, and Lewis Hamilton is now in the same boat alongside Charles Leclerc.
A slam dunk from Kimi Antonelli, adding the fastest lap to his pole position and Grand Prix victory in China! ⏱️
Where does this rank in the list of the best maiden Grand Prix victories? 🤔
However, with Mercedes looking like the dominant force in Formula 1, there’s a risk that an Italian might win a championship for the first time in more than 70 years, not in Ferrari colours.
Kimi Antonelli became F1’s second-youngest winner in Shanghai and has been Toto Wolff’s protege for some time.
However, Ferrari could have signed Antonelli as a youngster, but journalist Raymond Blancafort has explained why, internally, the Scuderia felt that would have been the wrong decision.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Ferrari didn’t want Kimi Antonelli to face ‘double burden’ of being Italian and driving for the Scuderia in F1
In a report from Soy Motor, Blancafort spoke about the relationship between Antonelli, Ferrari and Italy’s incredible racing fanbase.
He said: “Italian fans are surely ecstatic with Kimi Antonelli’s victory. They’ve been dreaming of one of their own winning for a long, long time—even longer than they’ve been waiting for a Ferrari title.
“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!
Has Max Verstappen just proven that he does not see Kimi Antonelli as a 2026 F1 title threat?
“A fanbase perhaps divided: Antonelli or Ferrari? The former, Antonelli, is an illusion, a hope, a dream. The latter, a religion… even though they haven’t won a constructors’ title since 2008 and a driver’s title since 2007, 18 and 19 years. And this year, given Mercedes’ superiority, it seems those numbers will increase once again.
“Last year, Ferrari faced criticism for not signing the young Italian driver. In Maranello, there was a feeling that for an Italian, racing for Ferrari would be a double burden, but without a doubt, this would be the ultimate dream for the ‘tifosi’.”
READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory
Kimi Antonelli was ‘still too young’ to sign for Ferrari when he joined Mercedes
Antonelli was one of the stars of the karting scene in Italy growing up, helped by his father’s background in motorsport.
Giovanni Minardi, son of the founder of the Minardi F1 team and the owner of Minardi Management, spoke about the 19-year-old’s early years in racing.
In an interview with Gazzetta, he was asked who he and Antonelli’s father spoke to during the early stages of his career, and he said: “Both Ferrari and Mercedes; we had to play our cards right and choose who could offer the best guarantees.
“For Ferrari, Kimi was still too young, whereas Mercedes could offer better guarantees regarding his future prospects.”
Antonelli has previously spoken about racing for Ferrari at one point in his career, but he will know that’s not a straightforward decision.
Firstly, Mercedes and Wolff have backed him from such a young age that he will feel a debt of gratitude towards the Silver Arrows.
Max Verstappen is in a similar position at Red Bull, and despite their underperformance, doesn’t appear to be considering switching teams.
However, Italian drivers have rarely had much luck racing for Ferrari in the modern era.
Luca Badoer had an infamously difficult time at Ferrari, as did Giancarlo Fisichella.
Michele Alboreto spent five years driving for Ferrari, winning three times and finishing second in the championship to McLaren’s Alain Prost in 1985.
If Antonelli is to ever make that leap, he will only do so if he believes he can go one better than Alboreto.
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