Kimi Antonelli isn\u2019t ruling out racing for Ferrari in the future, but for now the Italian is fully committed to winning with Mercedes.<\/p>\n
The Italian leads the Drivers\u2019 Championship standings after five races, 43 points clear of his teammate George Russell, with Ferrari\u2019s Charles Leclerc a further 13 off the pace.<\/p>\n
Kimi Antonelli addresses Ferrari links amid Mercedes success<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n Last weekend, Antonelli<\/a> was presented with the prestigious Lorenzo Bandini Trophy, which is awarded to an individual or team for their achievements in Formula One.<\/p>\n The Italian drove his father Marco Antonelli\u2019s Mercedes-AMG GT3 to the event in Brisighella, and addressed the crowd.<\/p>\n Antonelli has made history this season as the youngest-ever championship leader at just 19 years of age. He also wrote his name in the record books as the first driver to win his first four grands prix in succession.<\/p>\n He leads the Drivers\u2019 standings<\/a> by 43 points ahead of his Mercedes teammate George Russell.<\/p>\n Antonelli\u2019s current Mercedes contract expires at the end of this season, with the Italian having agreed a one-year extension for 2026. He, however, is not expected to leave Mercedes next year as team principal Toto Wolff considers him to be the future of the Brackley squad.<\/p>\n However, when \u2013 or if \u2013 he does leave the team, Antonelli is not ruling out signing with Italy\u2019s F1 team, Ferrari.<\/p>\n Go deeper: Kimi Antonelli\u2019s Mercedes contract<\/p>\n F1 driver contracts: What is the contract status of every driver on the F1 2026 grid?<\/a><\/p>\n F1 2026 driver salaries: Who are the highest-paid drivers on the grid?<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cFerrari is a huge team with an incredible following and will remain in history forever,\u201d he said during the award ceremony.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I am a Mercedes driver, and my goal is to win with Mercedes. They gave me a great opportunity from a young age, supported me throughout my entire journey, and I feel a duty to give my best for this team.<\/p>\n \u201cThen, we\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n A move to Ferrari would be a huge story, not just for Formula 1, but for Italy. <\/p>\n Giancarlo Fisichella was the last Italian to race for Ferrari, spending five races with the team in 2009 when he replaced Luca Badoer, who was standing in for the injured Felipe Massa.<\/p>\n But while Antonelli\u2019s success in Formula 1, with his four grand prix winning streak beginning at the Chinese Grand Prix, has excited former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, the Italian admits it\u2019s disappointing that he isn\u2019t racing for Ferrari<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cHis victory excited me,\u201d the 78-year-old told Corriere della Sera in March.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is a 19-year-old boy who is constantly improving. He had had problems in the starts, yet he did not lose heart. He went to the front and led without uncertainty, risking only at the end.<\/p>\n \u201cHe showed maturity and coolness, not typical of an Italian, and especially not of one of his age. He has his feet on the ground, I hope he will always stay like this, the premises are all there.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it bothered me a bit to see him in a Mercedes.\u201d<\/p>\n But, he conceded, \u201ctaking someone like Antonelli and putting him in Ferrari immediately would have destroyed him. He would have had gigantic pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n Antonelli is chasing a fifth grand prix win on the trot this weekend in Monaco, however, he reckons this one could go the way of Ferrari.<\/p>\n \u201cI think Ferrari\u2019s going to be the team to beat in Monaco,\u201d the championship leader told Sky Sports.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to be very interesting how we do there, but for sure Ferrari is the favourite because obviously also with that winglet they have in the back, it\u2019s giving them a lot of downforce at low speed.<\/p>\n \u201cFor sure it\u2019s going to be interesting, but I\u2019ll try to do my best, to put myself in the best position and to achieve the best result possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Mercedes has not won the Monaco Grand Prix since Lewis Hamilton\u2019s 2019 success, with McLaren the defending Monaco champions after Lando Norris converted his pole position into a first Monaco win last year.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n