Ferrari's Antonelli regret deepens as title charge gathers pace

Helmut Marko calls it Formula 1 at its finest; Italy's papers are counting down to Verstappen's record. Ferrari is left explaining why it let Antonelli slip away.

As Kimi Antonelli's remarkable title charge gathers momentum, questions are again being asked about why Ferrari failed to secure Italy's most exciting young talent in generations.

The 19-year-old Mercedes driver now leads the world championship by 68 points after five consecutive victories, prompting growing excitement in Italy and renewed scrutiny of Ferrari's decision not to sign him as a youngster.

Marko joins the applause

Even former Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko - famed for his talent-spotting record - has been impressed.

After Max Verstappen's start-line failure in Monaco robbed fans of a potential head-to-head battle with Antonelli, Marko admitted Formula 1 missed out.

"Unfortunately, none of us know what would have happened," he told Blick.

"But hats off to Kimi Antonelli. What he's currently demonstrating flawlessly is Formula 1 at its finest."

Referring to Verstappen's failure, Marko added: "Such bad luck.

"The fans were unfortunately cheated out of a super duel between the two best drivers."

Italian media are increasingly embracing Antonelli's success.

"Five more wins to break the record and equal Verstappen," wrote La Gazzetta dello Sport's Giulia Toninelli, referring to the Dutchman's record streak of ten consecutive victories.

"Antonelli is aiming for a winning streak until the August break to match the Dutchman's record."

Why Maranello said no

Meanwhile, former Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene has explained why Antonelli never became part of the Maranello junior program.

"In my last year at Ferrari, 2018, Antonelli was 10 or 11 years old," he told Quotidiano Nazionale.

"At that time, Ferrari didn't yet have the structure to deal with kids that young. I'm not speaking as a team principal, but in reference to the company.

"Things at Ferrari are a little more complicated than at other teams."

Arrivabene insists the situation would not necessarily be different today.

"Even today, it wouldn't be so easy to sign a talented 11-year-old kid like Kimi Raikkonen's son, Robin," he said.

Ferrari was instead focused on another young prospect at the time. "We were busy getting Leclerc into the car, and even then it was tough - not everyone agreed.

"Some thought even Charles was too young for Ferrari."

However, Arrivabene believes Antonelli could still one day become Ferrari's world champion.

"Precisely because he's 19 and so strong, I think Antonelli will have plenty of time to bring home the world title, even in a Ferrari."

Former grand prix winner and Italian Riccardo Patrese also praised Mercedes boss Toto Wolff for spotting Antonelli's potential early.

"Not everyone gets picked up at 12 and brought into F1," he told Corriere della Sera.

"We also have to thank Toto Wolff, who believed so much in Kimi and supported him. It was a gamble, and it's working out very well."

Asked which drivers he would choose if he were running a Formula 1 team, Patrese's answer was immediate.

"Kimi e Verstappen, alla grande," he smiled.

Antonelli's manager at the time, Giovanni Minardi, has also confirmed Ferrari passed on the future championship leader because of his age.

"They told me he was too young," Minardi told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Antonelli in numbers

See also: the all-time F1 archive on F1-Fansite.

Related: Antonelli's surge stokes Verstappen-to-Mercedes talk

About the author

Leopold

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

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