Kimi Antonelli '10 years out' from Ferrari F1 move, reckons Guenther Steiner
Guenther Steiner believes F1 champion Kimi Antonelli will be a Ferrari driver
Former Haas Formula 1 team boss Guenther Steiner believes reigning world champion Andrea Kimi Antonelli will drive for Ferrari, but is “maybe 10 years out” from that.
The 20-year-old Italian was crowned the youngest-ever F1 world champion on 1 November at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Antonelli also ended Italy’s wait for another world champion, dating back to Alberto Ascari in 1953.
The subject of Antonelli joining Ferrari one day has been raised several times as he neared his world title.
“He could go tomorrow if he wants”
“Being an Italian myself, I know how emotional we are and how excited we can get about things,” he said at Monza in September.
“Sometimes overly excited.
“So, of course there will always be this kind of talk.
“But at the end of the day, as much as Ferrari is a massive, incredible brand, I’m very happy where I am.
“I’m very happy with Mercedes because they’re the ones who gave me the opportunity since I was a kid, and I feel like I have so much to give back to them.”
Guenther Steiner, now team boss at Tech3 in MotoGP, believes Antonelli will eventually go to Ferrari.
“Some people ask why he is not driving for us,” Steiner said in an interview with RacingNews365.
“That’s the only not-so-perfect thing for Italy; that there is an Italian champion not driving for Ferrari.
“But I think at some stage… Think about it, he’s 20 years old.
“He’s so young, so at some stage, in my opinion, he will drive for Ferrari.
“Will it be short term? No. It will be maybe 10 years out. But at some stage, obviously, as an Italian with this talent, he will get there.
“I would turn it around. They will get him. He could go tomorrow if he wants.”
Antonelli is the first Italian world champion not driving for an Italian team to have won the title, with Ascari’s coming in a Ferrari and Giuseppe Farina’s for Alfa Romeo.
