Kimi Antonelli “should be in a Ferrari” after Monza win, says Guenther Steiner
Former Haas Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner believes Mercedes driver and current championship leader Kimi Antonelli “should be in a Ferrari” following his impressive win at the Italian Grand Prix.
Antonelli secured his seventh career grand prix win at Monza after starting 19th on the grid and became the first Italian driver to win the event in 60 years.
Steiner reflected on the 20-year-old’s performance during an appearance on The Red Flags Podcast.
“Ferrari is the national team, and everybody’s rooting for it, and now this kid comes along and there was no Italian driver,” the former team chief explained. “It’s 60 years since the last time an Italian won [at Monza]. It’s a long time and you forget how to win. And obviously, for Kimi, being in a Mercedes doesn’t help him to get popular.
“Mercedes is the biggest opponent of Ferrari, and he drives there. So, you still hope my team wins, but this kid in that other team is this Italian guy. Plays in another football team and he’s pretty good.
“I think he deserves it [more fans]. What he does is extraordinary and he should be in a Ferrari. That would be the ideal world.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Clive Rose / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Antonelli’s win at Monza extended his lead in the drivers’ championship. He now sits 66 points ahead of his team-mate George Russell, who is currently second in the standings. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton follows in third, 10 points behind Russell.
The Italian driver’s focus now shifts to the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring circuit. He clocked the fastest times in both the second and third practice sessions and was second-fastest in FP1 behind Russell.
Qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix will take place at 4pm local time (3pm UK time) on Saturday 12 September.
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