Maurizio Arrivabene, Ferrari’s Racing Director in 2018, explains why Kimi Antonelli was not signed by Maranello
Ferrari could have secured Andrea Kimi Antonelli from Mercedes. Former team principal Maurizio Arrivabene reveals what went wrong. In 2018, a very young Antonelli approached Maranello. His career could have taken a very different path if he had not been “intercepted” by Toto Wolff and brought into the Silver Arrows’ development programme.
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This year, Italy’s Formula 1 passion is deeply divided. On one side stands Ferrari, a timeless love and the beating heart for millions of fans. On the other side is Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who has proudly lifted Italy’s tricolor five times in a row—yet while driving for Mercedes. It’s clear the Bologna-born driver is a future champion. But why didn’t Ferrari lock him in earlier?
The answer comes from Maurizio Arrivabene during an interview with RaceAnatomy, prompted by Leo Turrini. He explained the internal dynamics at Maranello: “In my last year at Ferrari, which was 2018, Kimi was only 10 or 11 years old. Back then, we did not have the infrastructure to manage such young talents. I speak as team principal, not representing the company. Plus, things at Ferrari are always more complicated than at other teams.”
Arrivabene’s perspective on Antonelli and Ferrari
At that time, Ferrari had other priorities: “One has to understand the context: imagine today signing another prodigy, a very talented 11-year-old, maybe Robin Raikkonen, Kimi’s son, and telling him ‘Great, we’re putting you under contract at Ferrari’. It’s not that simple. We were focused on getting Leclerc into the car, and that was challenging. Not everyone agreed; some thought Leclerc was too young.”
Arrivabene continued, “Additionally, until after Monza we were fighting for the championship with Vettel.” He added, “Antonelli is only 19 and incredibly talented. He will have all the time to bring us a world title, even while sitting in a Ferrari.”
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Cover photo: Marco Talluto for F1inGenerale.com