Kimi Antonelli walks into Monza this week as Italy’s new obsession, but he is in no mood to play to the old script.
The tifosi are used to pouring their hearts into red. This time, the country’s brightest young star is wrapped in silver, leading the World Championship by 59 points in just his second full Formula 1 season. The noise around him has grown as fast as his points tally, and much of it has revolved around a single question: when does an Italian this good end up at Ferrari?
Antonelli’s answer is blunt. Maybe never.
‘I’m very happy where I am’
“Being an Italian myself, I know how emotional we are and how excited we can get about things. Sometimes overly excited,” he said, fully aware of the storm brewing around him.
Ferrari will always be the national religion, but Antonelli has nailed his colours to a different mast.
“Of course, there will always be this kind of talk but, at the end of the day, as much as Ferrari is massive, incredible brand, I am very happy where I am.
“I am very happy with Mercedes because they are the ones who have given me the opportunity since I was a kid and I feel like I have so much to give back to them. Got to live with that.”
It is a rare thing in modern F1: a young superstar, Italian, winning, and not even flirting with the idea of red overalls. While the grandstands at Monza will be full of Ferrari flags, there will be a growing pocket of fans wrestling with a new reality — their hero might be a Mercedes lifer.
Looking at Verstappen and seeing a template
Antonelli doesn’t hide who he sees as the model. Max Verstappen and Red Bull have built an era together, and the Italian sounds ready to try something similar with Mercedes.
“I think Max has an incredible relationship with Red Bull,” Antonelli said. “Also, they were the one to put him in a car at a very young age. They were the one to put the trust.
“I feel like he's happy in the team, from what I can see. And he probably feels like wanting to stay with them. He probably believes as well in this project. So, I think he has all the reasons and all the rights to stay with Red Bull.
“And if one day he wants to change, then it's going to be up to him. But as long as he's happy where he is, why not?”
Then came the line that will make Mercedes’ hierarchy smile.
“I will do the same with Mercedes. I feel like I have, first of all, so much to give them. And if I will be happy all throughout with them, I will probably stay with them for my whole career as well.
“So, let's see. Of course, you never know what can happen.”
It is loyalty, but not naivety. He knows F1 can turn quickly. Right now, though, the bond between team and driver looks as strong as any on the grid.
A penalty at home – and a different kind of weekend
Monza should be the perfect stage for a title leader and home hero. Instead, Mercedes have chosen it as the place to take a grid penalty for exceeding Antonelli’s engine allocation after two earlier failures in the season.
On paper, it is a setback. In reality, it might be a release.
“In some ways it helps to release pressure, although I would very much rather fight for pole and start at the front,” Antonelli admitted.
“But, in some ways, I feel like it makes me a bit more relaxed going into the weekend and that's why I am going to able to enjoy more the driving and the weekend itself.
“Of course, it's as well a different opportunity, an opportunity to try something different during the weekend. A different work method in free practice especially because we have the chance to do so.
“I think it's going to be a very interesting weekend.”
Mercedes’ logic is clear. Take the hit while he has a commanding 59-point cushion over both George Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, with Lando Norris 83 points back despite his two recent wins. Use Monza’s long straights and slipstream to slice through the field rather than burn the penalty at a circuit where overtaking is torture. And ease the crushing expectation that usually suffocates Italians in this paddock.
Antonelli sounds on board.
“Of course, the goal is always the same and we're going to try and maximise the result.
“In an ideal world, I think realistically top five you can do well. But it's all driven also by your pace, how fast you are. What's the gap between cars? We might be really quick but Ferrari or McLaren or Red Bull they might be very close that it's not enough to catch them during the race.
“We’ll see but I feel very free mentally going into this weekend. Very excited, very much looking forward to it, but with no real pressure.”
A different kind of Italian idol
So Monza will get a curious spectacle. The old guard in red, Hamilton chasing, Ferrari desperate to please the home crowd. McLaren and Red Bull lurking, Norris in form, Verstappen still the benchmark. And somewhere in the pack, an Italian in a silver car, carving his way forward, carrying a championship lead and a country’s hopes without bowing to its traditions.
The tifosi used to dream of the next Italian in a Ferrari. This weekend, they might have to ask themselves a tougher question: are they ready to cheer for one who may never drive one?
