Antonelli in red? Piero Ferrari says it’s ‘not forbidden’

As the Formula 1 driver market eyes a potentially explosive 2027, Piero Ferrari has admitted that the prospect of teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli one day racing in red is far from off-limits.

For a nation that lives and breathes Ferrari, the mere suggestion of the young Italian moving to Maranello is enough to set imaginations racing.

For now, however, Antonelli’s allegiance is with Mercedes, having joined the Brackley squad in 2024 to serve his apprenticeship before inheriting Lewis Hamilton’s plum seat at the beginning of last year and achieving three podium finishes in a reasonably good – albeit inconsistent – maiden campaign.

A contract extension followed for 2026, but beyond this season, the road is less defined.

‘It’s not forbidden’

With uncertainty hovering over Ferrari’s future line-up – with Leclerc likely to weigh his options in the event of another disappointing year and Hamilton’s long-term plans unclear – a seat could open. And Piero Ferrari is not shutting the door.

“It’s not forbidden. There have been Italians at Ferrari, and the last one who tried, a dear friend, Michele Alboreto, didn’t succeed,” said the son of the great Enzo Ferrari.

“Antonelli has already proven he deserves top-flight cars: with a little experience, he’ll certainly become a great driver.”

It is a tantalising endorsement. An Italian prodigy in the scarlet cockpit would ignite the grandstands – and perhaps restore a romantic chapter Ferrari have long craved.

‘Then we’ll see in the future’

Antonelli, for now, is diplomatic – and loyal.

“Ferrari is an incredibly great team,” he said at the end of last year when queried on a potential move to Maranello. “Racing for Ferrari is wonderful, but I’m very happy with where I am, and I’m grateful for the opportunity Mercedes has given me.

“My dream right now is to win a World Championship with them, then we’ll see in the future.”

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It’s certainly not a declaration – but it’s not a denial either.

For 2026, Antonelli will battle the Prancing Horse head-on. Beyond that? In Formula 1, allegiances shift as quickly as momentum. And in Maranello, they are clearly keeping an eye on the hometown star.

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