The Antonelli Effect
The results and records set by Andrea Kimi Antonelli in this first half of the 2026 championship have won over many fans around the world, but not only that; the 19-year-old Mercedes driver, besides representing a dream for many Italians, has been repeatedly praised for his talent by drivers of the caliber of Valentino Rossi.
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The ‘Doctor’s’ Comment
In an interview given to Sky Sports F1, the ‘Doctor’ expressed his point of view on the Bolognese, and how the latter is able to excite not only the blue fans, but also the famous #46: “Ferrari is a religion in Italy, as you can imagine – he explained – and obviously, Italians are happy when Ferrari wins. But I am more a fan of drivers“.
“I follow what Lando Norris does, what Lewis Hamilton does; I am interested in the drivers. So I don’t care much if someone races for McLaren or Ferrari. Obviously, now I root for Kimi Antonelli. He is an enormous talent, incredibly fast, and in Italy we haven’t had a driver who won the World Championship in the last 70 years. So he is really special“, concluded the 47-year-old.
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Nine-time world champion in MotoGP, Rossi won his last career title in 2009, becoming the penultimate in the premier class before Francesco Bagnaia (2022-2023). The F1 roll of honor, however, has not included Italian drivers since 1953, the year Alberto Ascari won his second and last world championship. This season, among the various satisfactions Antonelli has enjoyed, was his first victory at the Chinese GP, with the Mameli Hymn played again for the first time since the Malaysian GP 2006, when Giancarlo Fisichella stood on the top step of the podium.
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