Vice-chairman admits he wants an Italian driver in Maranello.
Piero Ferrari, the vice-chairman of Ferrari, has said he would love to see Andrea Kimi Antonelli drive for the Scuderia one day. Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, the son of founder Enzo Ferrari admitted the idea appeals to him, even as he stressed that contracts and commitments stand in the way today. Antonelli, a native of Bologna, races for Mercedes, but the prospect of an Italian driver in a Ferrari continues to stir hope at Maranello.
Piero Ferrari Makes No Secret of His Hope
Ferrari did not hide his wish to see Antonelli at Maranello at some point in the future, but he kept his comments grounded in reality. “Many circumstances come into play here,” he said. “There are contracts to honour and commitments that have already been made.”
That caution matters. Antonelli is part of the Mercedes project, the team that has supported his career since he was 12 years old, and nothing in Piero Ferrari’s words points to an approach being made. What he offered was something different: an honest expression of sentiment from one of the most recognisable figures associated with the Ferrari name.
“I’m Not a Hypocrite”: An Italian in the Car Bearing His Father’s Name
Ferrari then spoke with striking candour. “Then again, I’m not a hypocrite: who wouldn’t love to see an Italian driving the car that bears my father’s name?” he said. The remark captures a feeling that runs deep in Italian motorsport, where the red car from Maranello is treated as a national symbol as much as a racing team.
He also suggested the feeling could be shared by the driver himself. “I suppose that, given his roots, the young man from Bologna wouldn’t mind it either,” Ferrari said. It was not a claim that Antonelli has asked for a move, only the view of a man who believes a driver from Emilia-Romagna would feel the pull of Ferrari red.
Why an Italian Driver at Ferrari Carries So Much Weight
The significance of Piero Ferrari’s words lies in history. Italy has not had a Formula 1 world champion since Alberto Ascari won the title in 1953, a gap of more than seven decades. Ferrari, the most Italian of all F1 teams, has also gone a long time without major titles of its own: its last drivers’ championship came in 2007 and its last constructors’ title in 2008.
Against that backdrop, the idea of an Italian driver leading Ferrari’s charge has obvious emotional pull. Antonelli, who grew up in Bologna not far from Maranello, is seen by many in Italy as the driver best placed to fill that role in the years ahead.
Antonelli’s Path From Mercedes Junior to Hamilton’s Seat
Antonelli’s rise has been tightly bound to Mercedes. He was promoted into a race seat at the team as the replacement for Lewis Hamilton, who left to join Ferrari. It is a twist that gives Piero Ferrari’s comments an extra edge: the seven-time champion now wears red, while the young Italian drives the car Hamilton left behind.
For his part, Antonelli has handled the recurring Ferrari question with discipline. He has said more than once that he is happy where he is and feels a duty to Mercedes, who believed in him from a young age, before adding that we will see what the future holds. It is the careful line expected of a driver under contract.
Piero Ferrari’s comments sit comfortably alongside that stance. Neither side is suggesting a deal is close. Both are acknowledging that Antonelli’s present commitments come first, and that any conversation about the future belongs to another time.
What Piero Ferrari’s Comments Mean for Ferrari’s Future
For now, Ferrari’s line-up features Charles Leclerc and Hamilton, and Antonelli is committed to Mercedes. Piero Ferrari’s remarks therefore read less like a transfer signal and more like a statement of long-term ambition from the heart of the family that founded the team.
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Still, his position gives the words weight. As vice-chairman and the son of Enzo Ferrari, he is closely identified with the team’s identity, and in Formula 1 even a passing remark from a figure of his standing is watched closely. He closed with a line that leaves everything open: “Perhaps it will happen one day. Why not?”
For Italian fans, that sentence will be enough to keep the dream alive. Whether it ever becomes reality will depend on contracts, timing and the choices made by both Antonelli and the team in the seasons to come.
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