Ferrari vice chairman Piero Ferrari has made no bones about his desire to see Kimi Antonelli in red one day. Speaking ahead of the United States Grand Prix, where the Mercedes driver sits just one result away from clinching the 2026 world title at just 20 years old, Ferrari acknowledged the obvious hurdle, but left the door wide open for a future move to Maranello. The 81-year-old didn't hide his enthusiasm when asked if the Bologna native could ever swap silver for red, pointing out that while contracts and commitments have to be respected, he'd be foolish not to dream about it.

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Antonelli arrives in Austin with a commanding 102-point lead over teammate George Russell, and a win could seal him as the youngest world champion in F1 history. But beyond his immediate title push, Piero Ferrari made clear he thinks Antonelli has exactly what the Scuderia looks for in a driver. He even went as far as comparing the young Mercedes driver to Niki Lauda, one of Ferrari's greatest ever champions. It's quite the compliment, and Ferrari didn't hold back in spelling out why he sees the similarities.

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What stands out most to Piero Ferrari is Antonelli's maturity for his age. He noted that drivers these days debut much earlier than they used to, but Kimi's level of composure and racecraft still impresses. Just like Lauda when he first joined Ferrari, Antonelli hasn't made the rookie mistakes you'd normally expect. Piero even suggested the Mercedes driver grasped the new 2026 technical regulations faster than Russell did, showing a mental sharpness that jumped out immediately.

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The last Italian to drive for Ferrari was Giancarlo Fisichella back in 2009, when he stepped in for five races as an injury replacement. It's been a long time, and Piero Ferrari clearly thinks Antonelli would be the perfect Italian to restore that connection. He admitted he's never actually met Antonelli, only admired him from afar, but he's convinced that given his roots, the Mercedes driver probably wouldn't mind the idea either. For now, though, Antonelli's locked into Mercedes through 2027, but Piero Ferrari's words suggest Ferrari won't be making any secret of their interest if circumstances ever change.

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