Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali has backed suggestions of a possible Ferrari move for Kimi Antonelli, describing the prospect of an Italian star driving in the iconic red car as “really beautiful”. Domenicali labelled the 18-year-old as an “extraordinary young man”, though he admitted that Mercedes boss Toto Wolff might not be thrilled by such remarks.
“Kimi Antonelli in Ferrari? An Italian driver in an Italian car. We need a driver who, especially in today’s world, represents a reference figure for young people,” Domenicali, 59, said during an interview on Italian radio programme ‘La Politica nel pallone’. “So it would be really beautiful, but I believe that Toto Wolff might not agree at this moment.”
Antonelli, praised for his pace and composure, is widely tipped as a future world champion following his impressive performances early in the 2025 season. “We need to help him grow,” Domenicali continued.
“He is an extraordinary young man with values that I really like. Seeing him enter the paddock with his family and little sister hand in hand gives us a romantic dimension of the sport, then when he lowers the visor, he goes fast. Before equating him to any champion, I think it’s right to wait, but the certainty is that he will become a protagonist in our world.”
Ferrari aren’t currently seeking to replace either of their drivers, having secured seven-time title winner Lewis Hamilton on a multiyear £40million-a-year deal. While the British icon hasn’t hit the ground running for the Scuderia, Domenicali believes his decision to leave Mercedes underlines the allure of driving for Ferrari.
“A champion like him realises what it means,” he noted, pointing to Hamilton’s motivation to secure a historic eighth title as his career enters its final chapters. On the other side of the garage, Charles Leclerc – whom Domenicali called an “extraordinary driver” – looks to be going nowhere for the foreseeable future either.
Antonelli has made a very encouraging start to the season. The young Italian currently sits sixth in the drivers’ standings, having earned 30 points across four races – one spot ahead of Hamilton, whose seat he took at Mercedes.
His debut at the Australian Grand Prix in March made him the third-youngest driver ever to race in F1. He’s had one of the strongest rookie starts in recent memory. Antonelli has some ground to cover to the top, with McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri sitting 47 and 44 points ahead of him, respectively.
Reigning champion Max Verstappen holds third place, with Antonelli’s Mercedes team-mate George Russell in fourth and Leclerc in fifth. McLaren have emerged as the early frontrunner, while Red Bull have struggled to support Verstappen effectively, especially after switching from Liam Lawson to Yuki Tsunoda – neither of whom have amassed notable points so far.
Ferrari’s campaign has fallen short of expectations, worsened by the disqualification of both Hamilton and Leclerc at last month’s Chinese Grand Prix. The team are fourth in the sonstructors’ table, trailing McLaren by almost 100 points.
Nevertheless, Domenicali urged his old team to remain focused, suggesting the performance gap is not as wide as it seems. “The only advice I can give to [team principal] Fred Vasseur, with whom I am in contact every day, is to continue working with his head down without feeling the weight of a pressure that is natural for those who cover that role,” he said.
“I am convinced that soon we will see a Ferrari that will win this year too. We must continue to be there, because this year the gaps are so small that the details make the difference.
“Being Ferrari is something unique. I was talking about it with Hamilton who realised what it means, for a champion like him, to wear the red overalls.”
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