Piero Ferrari has essentially waved the green light at the possibility of Kimi Antonelli joining the Scuderia down the line. The 81-year-old Ferrari vice chairman wouldn't mind seeing an Italian driver piloting a car that carries his father's legendary name, and he's made that pretty clear. Right now Antonelli is Mercedes' golden boy, the 20-year-old sensation who could become the sport's youngest ever world champion this weekend at the United States Grand Prix, but Ferrari is already thinking ahead.

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Speaking to Italian media, Piero Ferrari didn't hide his enthusiasm, though he was careful to acknowledge the obvious hurdles. "Who wouldn't love to see an Italian behind the wheel of a car bearing my father's name?" he said. He reckoned Antonelli, being from Bologna, probably wouldn't mind the idea either. Ferrari stressed that existing contracts need respecting, but made it clear that if circumstances ever aligned, he'd be thrilled to see the young Mercedes driver make the switch to Maranello someday.

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What's really interesting is how Ferrari rates Antonelli's potential. Despite never actually meeting him, Ferrari calls himself a distant admirer and draws comparisons to Niki Lauda, the Austrian legend who drove for Ferrari back in the day. Both drivers showed remarkable maturity for their age, according to Ferrari's assessment. Antonelli has avoided the rookie mistakes you'd normally expect, which speaks volumes about his championship poise and readiness for top-level competition.

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Still, Ferrari's not getting caught up in daydreams about future signings when the present needs fixing. The Scuderia's had a rough second half of 2026, with early season promise from Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc giving way to familiar problems like strategic blunders and driver tensions. Piero Ferrari made it clear the team needs action, not excuses, to finally deliver what their long-suffering fans have been waiting for. But mark his words about Antonelli, that door is definitely left open.

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