{"id":2473,"date":"2026-09-18T13:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T16:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=2473"},"modified":"2026-09-19T13:35:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T16:35:23","slug":"antonelli-deixa-portas-abertas-para-ferrari-no-futuro-mas-fala-em-divida-com-mercedes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/antonelli-deixa-portas-abertas-para-ferrari-no-futuro-mas-fala-em-divida-com-mercedes\/","title":{"rendered":"Antonelli leaves door open to future Ferrari move but says he \u2018owes\u2019 Mercedes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">News Summary<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Andrea Kimi Antonelli said he would not rule out joining Ferrari at some point in the future.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Italian explained that he feels indebted to Mercedes after the manufacturer supported him from the age of 12.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Antonelli currently leads team-mate George Russell by 81 points after winning eight races during the 2026 season.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Andrea Kimi Antonelli has left open the possibility of driving for Ferrari later in his Formula 1 career, while making clear that he currently has no intention of leaving Mercedes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 20-year-old has been part of the Mercedes development programme since he was 12 and progressed through the junior categories with the manufacturer\u2019s backing. Now competing for the <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">Formula 1<\/a> title in only his second season, Antonelli said that loyalty remains central to his immediate plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNow I\u2019m fine where I am,\u201d Antonelli told <em>Automoto Italy<\/em> when asked about a potential future move to Ferrari.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI am very happy to be at Mercedes, also because I feel I owe them a debt for all the opportunities they have given me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey were the ones who believed in me when I was only 12 years old. They have accompanied me on this path of growth, and I hope to reap many successes with them in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThen we\u2019ll see. I don\u2019t rule anything out, but today the goal is to win as much as possible with Mercedes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/f1-2026-espanha-teinos-livres-mercedes-kimi-antonelli-01-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"F1 2026, ESPANHA, TREINOS LIVRES, MERCEDES, KIMI ANTONELLI\" class=\"wp-image-1020314538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/f1-2026-espanha-teinos-livres-mercedes-kimi-antonelli-01-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/f1-2026-espanha-teinos-livres-mercedes-kimi-antonelli-01-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/f1-2026-espanha-teinos-livres-mercedes-kimi-antonelli-01-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/f1-2026-espanha-teinos-livres-mercedes-kimi-antonelli-01-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/f1-2026-espanha-teinos-livres-mercedes-kimi-antonelli-01-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/f1-2026-espanha-teinos-livres-mercedes-kimi-antonelli-01-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/f1-2026-espanha-teinos-livres-mercedes-kimi-antonelli-01.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andrea Kimi Antonelli is closing in on the 2026 Formula 1 title with Mercedes (Foto: F1)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Ferrari will always be part of the Antonelli conversation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Antonelli\u2019s nationality inevitably makes Ferrari a recurring subject. An Italian leading Formula 1\u2019s most famous team remains one of the sport\u2019s most compelling combinations, but recent history shows how uncommon it has become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Michele Alboreto was the last Italian to complete a full season for Ferrari, racing for the Scuderia between 1984 and 1988. Ivan Capelli subsequently started the 1992 campaign but was replaced before its conclusion, while Nicola Larini, Luca Badoer and Giancarlo Fisichella later made substitute appearances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Antonelli\u2019s answer stops well short of suggesting that negotiations or plans for a move exist. Rather than expressing a desire to join Ferrari, he acknowledged that circumstances can change across a long career while reaffirming his commitment to Mercedes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That distinction is particularly important given his current position. Antonelli has won eight Grands Prix in 2026, compared with two for George Russell, and <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/antonelli-extends-f1-championship-lead-to-81-points-after-spanish-gp-win\/\">extended his championship advantage to 81 points after winning in Madrid<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mercedes has nevertheless resisted declaring the championship settled. Toto Wolff recently described the W17 as a \u201cfragile\u201d car and <a>refused to celebrate Antonelli\u2019s title prematurely<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Antonelli reflects on historic Monza victory<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The emotional pull of racing for Italy was apparent at the Italian GP, where Antonelli won after starting 19th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was the first home victory by an Italian driver since Ludovico Scarfiotti triumphed at Monza in 1966. The result also came from the second-lowest starting position ever converted into an F1 victory, behind John Watson\u2019s win from 22nd at Long Beach in 1983.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe charge of the fans during the GP was incredible,\u201d Antonelli said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt gave me the push to try to do even better. The podium in Monza is the most beautiful of the year, and hearing everyone sing the anthem in unison and shout my name gave me goosebumps.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Antonelli\u2019s victory arrived despite an additional pit stop, with the lap-time analysis showing that <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/would-antonelli-have-won-monza-without-the-extra-pit-stop-lap-times-reveal-the-answer\/\">he still possessed sufficient pace to win at Monza<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His performances have made the possibility of an Italian driving for Ferrari an obvious subject of discussion. For now, however, Antonelli\u2019s focus is not on fulfilling that symbolism. It is on completing the title campaign with the manufacturer that has guided his career since childhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When is the next Formula 1 race?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next race is the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit on Saturday, 26 September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix being held on Saturday?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race was moved forward to avoid Azerbaijan\u2019s national Remembrance Day on Sunday, 27 September. Practice begins on Thursday, with qualifying on Friday and the Grand Prix on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who leads the 2026 Formula 1 championship?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kimi Antonelli leads the Drivers\u2019 Championship with 292 points. Mercedes teammate George Russell is second on 211, leaving Antonelli 81 points ahead with nine rounds remaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Has Andrea Kimi Antonelli said he wants to join Ferrari?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No. Antonelli said he would not rule out any future possibility, but stressed that he is happy at Mercedes and wants to win with the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Andrea Kimi Antonelli has refused to rule out driving for Ferrari later in his Formula 1 career, but insists his immediate priority is repaying Mercedes\u2019 faith by winning as much as possible with the team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1001091204,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"F1 leader responds to future move question","42wp_featured_image_credits":"F1","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[19,56,324,16],"42wp_author":[7],"class_list":["post-2473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-f1","tag-andrea-kimi-antonelli","tag-ferrari","tag-formula-1","tag-mercedes","42wp_author-victor-martins"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2473","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2473"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2473\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2517,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2473\/revisions\/2517"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1001091204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2473"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2473"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=2473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}