Valentino Rossi spoke about Kimi Antonelli, the great phase the driver has been experiencing in Formula 1 and how he has been rooting for the young Italian compatriot.
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In the 2026 season, the Mercedes driver has been the big highlight. In 11 races contested, he managed to win six times, in addition to having stood on the podium nine times. With that, he is the leader of the standings with a 50-point advantage over Lewis Hamilton, second.
Rossi, multiple MotoGP champion, commented on the good phase the Italian has been experiencing and also on the motorsport scene in Italy. Although he recognizes that Ferrari is almost like a religion in the country, he revealed he prefers to root for drivers, not teams.
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“You can imagine: in Italy, Ferrari is like a religion, you know? Of course, all Italians are happy when Ferrari wins. But I root more for the drivers. I follow Lando [Norris], I follow Lewis [Hamilton]; I follow the driver. You know, if you race for McLaren or Ferrari, it doesn’t make much difference to me,” he told Sky Sports F1.
“So, now I’m with Kimi. He is a great talent, has a lot of speed and, in Italy, we haven’t had any Formula 1 driver capable of winning the championship in the last 70 years; so, it’s something very special,” he added.
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