F1 | Kimi Antonelli rejected by Ferrari: “He’s too young”

Andrea Kimi Antonelli races in Formula 1 with Mercedes, but if 11 years ago he had not been rejected by Maurizio Arrivabene, he could be driving for Scuderia Ferrari today. Here is how the story of the young man from Bologna unfolded, as told by his father Marco.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli a Ferrari driver? Rejected at 11 years old

An Italian driver hasn’t been seen at Ferrari for many years. Great names like Alberto Ascari and Michele Alboreto helped make the tricolor magical on the Prancing Horse crest, and we must not forget Ivan Capelli in the ’92 season. Since then, there has been a coming and going of Italians in Formula 1, but for Ferrari only as reserve drivers (for example, Antonio Giovinazzi and Giancarlo Fisichella). The Scuderia has relied on foreign drivers who—let’s be clear—if you decide to put someone like Michael Schumacher or Fernando Alonso in your car instead of an Italian driver “who isn’t performing,” there’s nothing to object to; quite the opposite.

But it hurts the hearts of the Tifosi to see a very young and talented Italian driver (from Bologna, no less) named Andrea Kimi Antonelli representing your fierce rival on the track: Mercedes. Naturally, the association of an Italian driver with an Italian team comes spontaneously, but Kimi has been “owned” by Mercedes since he was 11, and it must be said that Ferrari let him slip away.

The revelation came directly from Kimi’s father, Marco, interviewed by Leo Turrini (the full interview can be found in Il Resto del Carlino): “Andrea did go to Ferrari — Marco Antonelli recounted — he was summoned as a karting prospect. He had been noticed by Massimo Rivola, then head of the Ferrari Driver Academy. Andrea was 11 years old; he even tried the simulator—not the one reserved for F1 drivers, but the one for the academy youth. Everything was in order, except that Maurizio Arrivabene, who at the time also led the racing department, said that Andrea was too young. Pochi mesi dopo ci contattò la Mercedes.”

It seems that since then—seeing the splendid successes in the feeder series and the excellent season the young Antonelli is having in Formula 1—Ferrari has learned from its mistakes. Many prospects have passed through the Ferrari Driver Academy and are still active, such as Dino Beganovic (Formula 2 driver with Hitech TGR), Oliver Bearman (now an F1 driver with Haas), the Brazilian Rafael Camara (currently leading the Formula 3 championship with Trident), and the fierce Maya Weug and Aurelia Nobels (both in F1 Academy). But it is especially in the world of karting that the FDA has chosen to focus, signing the very young prospect named Filippo Sala. Is this a sign of some kind of redemption?