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Andrea Kimi Antonelli has barely had time to enjoy his first Formula 1 victory before the speculation about his future has begun. Ralf Schumacher believes the young Italian will one day race for Ferrari, and he thinks it is almost inevitable given the trajectory he is on.
The Dream Scenario for Italy
Antonelli's win in China produced a wave of national celebration in Italy unlike anything the country had experienced in Formula 1 for twenty years. The last Italian to win a Grand Prix before him was Giancarlo Fisichella in 2006, and the emotion that accompanied Antonelli's victory reflected just how long that wait had felt. But he did it in silver, not red, and a section of Italian opinion cannot quite fully celebrate until that changes.
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Schumacher addressed the subject directly on F1-Insider. "As things stand right now, I believe that at some point he could be sitting in a Ferrari, and that he may even need to be there if he continues to develop in this way. That would be a dream for the Italians."
He expanded on what that moment would mean for the country. "If an Italian wins again in a Ferrari, I think he would immediately be invited by the Pope, even though the Pope is now an American. So yes, I think it will happen at some point in the distant future."
A New Verstappen for Italy?
Schumacher drew a comparison that carries real weight. He sees Antonelli's rise as potentially mirroring what Verstappen did for the Netherlands: turning an entire nation into Formula 1 obsessives almost overnight. "What he has done is truly beautiful. There is a whole nation waiting impatiently, just like it was with Max, the Dutchman who came from nowhere and started dominating Formula 1, and still does to a certain extent. And yes, that will obviously have an impact on a country."
The timing of Schumacher's comments is worth noting. Ferrari have not kept their admiration for Antonelli entirely private. Piero Ferrari, son of the founder and a significant figure within the team, recently made comments that were interpreted as an open flirtation with the idea of bringing Antonelli to Maranello. Whether that ever becomes reality depends on many things, not least what happens to the current Ferrari driver lineup in the coming years. But the interest is clearly mutual, even if nothing is close to happening right now.
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