Antonelli or Ferrari, that is the dilemma
Valentino Rossi already knows who to cheer for in the all-Italian fight for the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship title. In ten races held so far, on eight occasions fans have been able to hear the Mameli Anthem sung for the driver on the top step of the podium, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli honored six times and the Ferrari drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, in the remaining two. And while for many fans, especially longtime ones, the Red is always the Red, many others are starting to get used to the idea of a talented young Italian dominating the premier category of motorsport, even if representing the hated and feared home rivals Mercedes.
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Valentino Rossi has chosen who to cheer for
But where does the Doctor’s heart lie, who last weekend was a protagonist at Goodwood alongside Lando Norris and who this weekend instead took to the track at Misano for the GT World Challenge? The nine-time MotoGP world champion has a clear idea and, while respecting the myth of the Prancing Horse – which in the past also gave him the chance to test the qualities of a Formula 1 car on track – he has no doubts in choosing his friend Antonelli: Kimi is not only geographically close to Valentino, but has long been, even before his F1 debut in early 2025, within Rossi’s circle of friends.
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It is well known that Antonelli and Rossi spend time together during the winter break, with various visits to the Ranch and shared training sessions on the iRacing simulator. It is therefore easy to imagine that the most beloved motorcyclist by Italians could publicly express his endorsement for the Formula 1 driver who hopes to repeat even just part of his feats on four wheels. “You can imagine – Rossi explains in an interview with Sky – what Ferrari represents in Italy… It’s like a religion, but I am above all a fan of the drivers and for this reason I am now cheering for Kimi. He is an extraordinary talent, he has a lot of speed and in Italy we have never had a driver capable of winning the F1 World Championship in the last 70 years. For this reason it would be something really special,” Valentino Rossi concluded speaking about the hypothetical victory of Antonelli’s title.
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