Kimi Antonelli's decision to join Mercedes instead of Ferrari has been praised by former F1 driver Karun Chandhok, who believes it was the best thing his father, Marco, could have done. According to Chandhok, the move has shielded the young Italian from the immense pressure of driving for Ferrari.
Antonelli, who replaced Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025, is currently dominating the 2026 season. He became the youngest driver to lead the standings after back-to-back wins in China and Japan. Last weekend, he won his home Italian Grand Prix, his seventh win of the season, and now leads teammate George Russell by 66 points ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid.
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Show, Chandhok reflected on Antonelli's career path. "Looking back on that weekend, I actually think by not making him a Ferrari junior, not putting him in front of Ferrari, not trying to make him a Ferrari young driver, and going down the Mercedes path is actually the best thing that Marco Antonelli's done for his son," he said.
Chandhok added that the pressure of being an Italian driver at Ferrari would have been overwhelming. "Could you imagine if he was there as a Ferrari Italian driver? The pressure would be unbelievable. Mercedes have done a fantastic job of nurturing him and bringing him here," he continued.
He also witnessed the joy of Antonelli's family after the Monza win. "I saw Kimi's parents and his sister afterwards by the Mercedes motorhome and they looked so delighted with the fact that he'd won the home grand prix and they had a lot of their friends and family there. I couldn't help but think they've managed to take away some pressure by not having him as a Ferrari driver," Chandhok added.
Nevertheless, Chandhok hopes that one day Antonelli might drive for Ferrari. "For the sake of the sport and the sake of Ferrari, I hope in 10-15 years' time, when Kimi's achieved a whole lot of things, maybe he will become a Ferrari driver. It'll be great for Ferrari to have him one day, but I think it's good now for him to have his early years as not a Ferrari driver," he concluded.
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