Source:REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
[Saba Sports News] Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s father revealed that years before his son claimed his first professional victory, Ferrari had a chance to sign him but was vetoed by team management at the time. After Antonelli’s pole-to-win at the Shanghai Grand Prix, his popularity in Italy surged, and former Ferrari president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo and others publicly said Ferrari should have brought him into the fold. The full story of how Antonelli ultimately ended up at Mercedes is now clearer. When Antonelli was still a highly promising karting driver, he was spotted by Massimo Rivola and received an invitation from Ferrari. At just 11 years old he even tested a simulator at Maranello—the very simulator used for the driver academy—and everything was set for him to join. But Maurizio Arrivabene, then head of Ferrari’s motorsport division, said Antonelli was too young and not suitable. A few months after the failed Ferrari trial, Mercedes invited Antonelli to join. In previous interviews Antonelli himself has confirmed that he had early contact with Ferrari.
The editor believes the main risk for young drivers is that they are not yet ready for the pressures of F1, but Antonelli has a very well-structured team around him and an exemplary family, all of which help safeguard his path to success.