Antonelli comparisons 'unfair to legends' says Domenicali
Stefano Domenicali wants the Antonelli hype turned down, comparisons to Senna and Schumacher 'disrespect the legends', even as he privately backs the teenager.
Stefano Domenicali admits he would be "thrilled" if teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli became world champion - even as the Formula 1 chief echoed concerns about excessive hype surrounding the 19-year-old Italian.
Antonelli's stunning start to 2026 has already triggered comparisons in Italy with tennis world number 1 Jannik Sinner, while Toto Wolff recently warned about the danger of building "a castle of expectations" around the Mercedes driver too early.
Speaking to veteran Italian journalist Leo Turrini, Domenicali agreed caution is needed.
"Kimi shouldn't be compared to any of the greats of the past," said the Italian.
"It's unfair to him and disrespectful to the legends of motorsport."
"I've known them all, from Senna to Schumacher, from Raikkonen to Alonso, all the way up to Hamilton and Verstappen."
"Each has left an indelible mark on F1."
Still, the former Ferrari team principal admitted Antonelli is already showing exceptional qualities.
"Aside from his natural instinct for speed, what strikes me about Antonelli is how quickly he learns from his mistakes," Domenicali said.
"And it's right that so many Italians compare him to Sinner, recognising the emotions he elicits."
The CEO's confession
Then, momentarily stepping away from his neutral executive role, Domenicali admitted where his heart would lie if Antonelli pulled off a sensational title triumph.
"Given my role, I can't say that," he smiled.
"But I'll say it - if he won the world championship, I'd be thrilled."
"We speak the same dialect, he could be my son."
Domenicali also reflected on Ferrari, the team he once led, amid yet another difficult title challenge for the Maranello outfit.
"When I was team principal at Maranello, we lost three drivers' titles, in 2008, 2010, and 2012, by a handful of points," he said.
"You once wrote that if we'd won them, my story and that of the Prancing Horse would have changed, and maybe that's true, but it doesn't matter."
Ferrari remains in the fight in 2026 despite greater recent momentum from McLaren and Red Bull - with Mercedes continuing to lead from the front.
"Right now, it seems to me that the Reds need consistency to reach their goal," Domenicali said.
"Besides, I'm personally convinced that this championship is still open - McLaren is back, and so is Verstappen."
"If Ferrari were to win a race between now and the end of June, the outlook would change - enthusiasm helps."
Kimi Antonelli snapshot
| Full name | Andrea Kimi Antonelli |
|---|---|
| Age | 19 |
| F1 team | Mercedes |
| F1 debut | 2025 |
| 2026 form | Title-contending start, per Domenicali |
| Italian comparison drawn | Tennis world No. 1 Jannik Sinner |
See also: Kimi Antonelli driver page on F1-Fansite.
4 F1 Fan comments on “Antonelli comparisons 'unfair to legends' says Domenicali”
💬 Join the conversation — see the latest comments from F1 fans →
Of course, he’d be thrilled as a fellow Italian, & this is something that rather goes without saying, not to mention he immediately contradicted himself by claiming he couldn’t due to his role, only to do so immediately afterwards anyway, so just sarcasm.
I didn’t know about the same dialect aspect, though, & of course, Antonelli could theoretically be his son, given their age difference, although so could several other current drivers, for example, even the Cadillac duo.
Neither did I know that he reads Leo Turrini’s posts, which suggests that they’ve known each other on a personal level for a long time, & the thing Turrini wrote some time ago indeed doesn’t have any up-to-date relevance anymore.
The championship battle is indeed still open, although more likely only McLaren could provide a proper challenge to Mercedes, rather than also Max, let alone Ferrari.
They said that last year when Max was 100 points down
What is it about the Dutch, and the rest of Europe? I sort of got it with Shummy, he being a German and all, and the echo's of jack-boots crashing onto the Berlinstrasse, in front of the Reichstag and all, still in living memory.
Their women have the Golden Ratio nailed, and their exploits at home and abroad are surprising, given their size. It's like they are the other other Master Race, or something. So much for DIE when it comes to other Europeans.
He's leaving out most of the greats. The only one on his list is Schumacher.