During his appearance at the Bandini Trophy event, Andrea Kimi Antonelli spoke extensively about the present rather than the future. The Mercedes driver touched on his Formula 1 title battle with teammate George Russell, compared Mercedes and Ferrari, addressed speculation about a possible future move to Maranello and reflected on his relationship with Max Verstappen.
While acknowledging Ferrari’s iconic status within motorsport, Antonelli reiterated his commitment to Mercedes and made it clear that his focus remains entirely on the championship fight he is currently engaged in alongside Russell.
Antonelli: “George Russell and I don’t want to ruin what we have. As for a future at Ferrari…”
During his media session, Antonelli was also asked about his long-term future and responded with a smile when questioned about the possibility of one day racing for Ferrari. Although he openly recognised the appeal of the Scuderia, the Formula 1 championship leader reaffirmed his loyalty to Mercedes.
“Ferrari is a huge team. It has an incredible following and a history that will live forever. But right now I am a Mercedes driver and I am extremely happy to be with them. They gave me a great opportunity from a very young age, they supported me throughout my entire journey and I feel a responsibility to give my absolute best for this team.”
Antonelli then highlighted the strong bond he shares with the Brackley-based squad, suggesting that his objective is to continue building his career with the Silver Arrows.
“I owe them a lot and I want to win as much as possible with Mercedes. Then we will see what happens in the future.”
His comments once again reflected the gratitude the young Italian feels towards the team that backed him throughout the junior categories and has now given him the opportunity to fight for the Formula 1 World Championship.
Antonelli also discussed the title battle that currently sees him competing directly against teammate George Russell. He explained that an internal championship fight requires a different approach compared to battling drivers from rival teams.
“The main secret to winning a championship is consistency, maximising the result every weekend and racing aggressively but intelligently,” he explained. “Because this is a battle within the same team, the situation is slightly different. When you are racing against your teammate, you have to be more careful because you do not want to cause damage for the team.”
The championship leader also spoke about the atmosphere inside the Mercedes garage despite the intensity of the title fight.
“George and I are in a fantastic position to fight for something important, but we do not want to ruin the great dynamic that exists inside the garage. We will race hard against each other, we will be fierce competitors, but we will do it fairly and without contact. Mercedes must win.”
Mercedes versus Ferrari, the ADUO opportunity and his relationship with Max Verstappen
Among the many topics discussed, Antonelli also spoke about his relationship with Max Verstappen. The four-time Formula 1 world champion has never hidden the respect and admiration he has for the young Italian, while the two drivers have often demonstrated their genuine friendship both on and off camera.
Antonelli explained that many of their conversations revolve around Formula 1 and motorsport in general, although they also discuss topics outside racing.
“We both have a huge passion for motorsport in every form. In Montreal we talked about the virtual 24 Hours race. We also talk about our lives, race weekends and cars, not just Formula 1. It is always very enjoyable to talk with him.”
When discussing the championship battle, Antonelli made it clear that although his primary focus remains on himself and his own performances, he is fully aware of the threats posed by rival teams.
“McLaren and Red Bull have made significant progress and they will certainly be in the fight. But our team is pushing incredibly hard as well and that gives us confidence.”
Among those rivals, Ferrari naturally remains one of the most important competitors. Antonelli acknowledged that the possibility of benefiting from the ADUO system could help the Maranello team reduce the gap, although he stressed that the challenge remains far from straightforward.
“In terms of the chassis, Ferrari is in a good position. They seem to struggle a little more on tracks where tyre degradation is high, but if they manage to improve the engine they will get closer, even if finding additional power is never easy.”
Antonelli also wanted to clarify what he believes is a common misconception regarding Mercedes. While much of the attention has focused on the team’s power unit advantage, he argued that the chassis deserves just as much credit for the team’s performance.
“Ferrari has a very good chassis and people only talk about the Mercedes engine. But we are also very strong in the corners and we manage the tyres well. Our chassis is fantastic too.”
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