Former Haas Method 1 workforce principal Guenther Steiner feels Italian followers are but to totally embrace Kimi Antonelli, suggesting the nation’s conventional concentrate on Ferrari is at the moment overshadowing the 19-year-old’s achievements.
Talking on The Purple Flags Podcast following Antonelli’s sixth victory of the season at Spa-Francorchamps, Steiner shared his view on the dynamic throughout the Italian motorsport fanbase.
“I spoke with a number of Italian journalists in Spa about this as a result of I get the identical feeling—he doesn’t get the credit score he deserves in some way,” Steiner argued.
Steiner drew a parallel with Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner.
“In Italy, you’ve now obtained two excellent sportsmen,” Steiner famous. “Jannik Sinner in tennis, who’s simply strolling away [with it], and you then’ve obtained Kimi Antonelli. However Kimi doesn’t get the identical credit score as Jannik Sinner, and I discover that one bizarre, to say the least.
“It has to do with Ferrari being seen because the Italian workforce, the nationwide workforce. Extra folks nonetheless have to get used to the truth that there may be an Italian F1 driver, who is definitely world-class, and never solely a workforce, as a result of there wasn’t one for a really, very very long time.”
Regardless of the perceived sluggish uptake, Steiner stays optimistic that Antonelli’s Italian fanbase will enhance.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Picture by: Alastair Staley / LAT Pictures through Getty Pictures
“He deserves extra, and I feel there may be now a rising consciousness [that] this man is definitely particular,” he added.
“We have to pay extra consideration to him and perhaps let Ferrari go just a little bit.”
When requested if it wanted to be one or the opposite, Steiner clarified: “Perhaps simply don’t put all of your eggs in that basket: Ferrari. There may be someone on the market who you possibly can cheer on. He deserves greater than he will get in the intervening time in Italy.”
Antonelli has been one of many greatest surprises of the 2026 season so far. Whereas his Mercedes team-mate George Russell went into the season as a transparent favorite, the Italian driver took the lead within the standings after back-to-back wins in China and Japan.
He then went on to say victories in Miami, Canada, Monaco and Belgium. He at the moment leads the drivers’ championship with 204 factors, 45 factors away from Lewis Hamilton in second place.
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