World Championship chance for Kimi Antonelli: Fisichella explains what his compatriot must do

Although Kimi Antonelli’s lead in the World Championship has shrunk over the last three weeks, the Mercedes hopeful is still in the lead – even though this is only his second season in Formula 1. His closest challenger is his team-mate George Russell, who closed the gap to the Italian to just 25 points after finishing second at Silverstone. Lewis Hamilton has also closed the gap thanks to his strong form. The seven-time world champion, who currently sits third in the overall standings, trails the leader by 32 championship points.

The big question – whether the teenager can claim the world championship title – is on the minds of the entire Formula 1 community. Excitement is particularly high in Italy; after all, the Tifosi have had to wait a long time to see an Italian back on the top step of the Grand Prix podium: before Antonelli, the last Italian to win a Grand Prix was Giancarlo Fisichella in Malaysia in 2006.

The Roman, who made a total of 229 Grand Prix starts between 1996 and 2009 and won three races in the premier class, is delighted with the young curly-haired driver’s success. “I’d say it’s finally happened,” he explained during his appearance on the ‘Beyond The Grid’ podcast on ‘Formula1.com’. “I’m happy, because 20 years is far too long to wait.”

“I was the last Italian to win a Grand Prix, and now Kimi has finally followed suit this year. And I’m really happy with his performance so far. He’s clever. And he’s fast. He’s won five races and secured five pole positions in a row. That’s outstanding,” enthused the 53-year-old. “I won three races in my career; he’s already celebrated five GP victories in fewer than 30 races. That’s simply brilliant.”

Fisichella therefore believes the 19-year-old from Bologna is capable of winning the title. “I think he has a real chance. He just needs to take it one race at a time and not put too much pressure on himself. He just needs to concentrate and drive the way he has in the last few races; then he can fight for the title – I’m convinced of that.”

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17.07.2026 - 13:15