Guenther Steiner, former director of the Haas Formula 1 team, has expressed that Italian fans have not fully embraced Kimi Antonelli, primarily due to the country’s historic focus on Ferrari. The young driver, only 19 years old, recently achieved his sixth victory of the season at Spa-Francorchamps.
During a conversation on the podcast “The Red Flags”, Steiner shared his perception of the dynamic between Italian fans and the figure of Antonelli. He commented on speaking with local journalists during the Belgian GP, who also share the opinion that the driver does not receive the attention he deserves.
Steiner mentioned Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner, stating that, despite having two excellent athletes like Antonelli and Sinner, the former does not receive the same visibility as his counterpart in tennis. “Ferrari is seen as the national team, and fans need time to realize that there is a top-class Italian F1 driver,” he pointed out.
Despite this situation, Steiner is optimistic about an increase in support for Antonelli among Italians. “He deserves more recognition, and there is increasing awareness about his exceptional qualities,” he added.
Although the concentration on Ferrari often eclipses Antonelli, Steiner points out that it is necessary not to focus solely on the team. “We shouldn’t risk it all on Ferrari; there’s someone else we can cheer for and who deserves it,” he concluded.
Antonelli has been one of the revelations of the 2026 season, currently leading the drivers’ championship with 204 points, 45 ahead of Lewis Hamilton, after winning in China, Japan, Miami, Canada, Monaco, and Belgium.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
