(Motorsport-Total.com) – Although Kimi Antonelli could become the first Italian Formula 1 world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953 this year, former Haas team principal Günther Steiner believes that the 19-year-old is not receiving the recognition he deserves in his home country.
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“I spoke with some Italian journalists in Spa,” Steiner reveals in The Red Flags Podcast and explains that despite his current championship lead, Antonelli in Italy, in his opinion, “does not get the recognition he deserves.”
Steiner explains: “There are now two very good athletes in Italy. Jannik Sinner in tennis, who is currently leaving everyone behind, and then there is Kimi Antonelli. But Kimi is not appreciated the same way as Jannik Sinner, and I find that, to put it mildly, strange.”
Sinner currently leads the world rankings in men’s tennis, while Antonelli is at the top of the Formula 1 drivers’ championship. But Steiner explains that the Mercedes driver basically has competition from his own country with Ferrari, which worsens his standing in Italy.
“It has to do with the fact that Ferrari is seen as the Italian team, as the ‘national team.’ Many people still have to get used to the fact that there is an Italian Formula 1 driver who is actually world-class, and not just a team,” says Steiner.
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First Italian Grand Prix winner in 20 years
He recalls that before Antonelli, there had been “a long time” without a top Italian driver in Formula 1. In fact, Antonelli won the first Italian Grand Prix in 20 years in 2026. The previous one by Giancarlo Fisichella dated back to 2006.
In addition, Antonelli was the first Italian since Riccardo Patrese in 1991 to win more than one race in a season. Steiner therefore emphasizes: “He deserves more, and I believe the awareness is growing that this guy is actually something special.”
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The “problem” for Antonelli is that his opponent in the 2026 championship fight is precisely Ferrari. His closest pursuer in the drivers’ world championship at the summer break is record world champion Lewis Hamilton, who has been racing for the Scuderia since 2025.
“We need to pay more attention to [Kimi],” Steiner thinks and advises Italian fans: “Maybe you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket: Ferrari. There is someone out there you can cheer for. He deserves more than he currently gets in Italy.”
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