Nov.11 (GMM) Rubens Barrichello has joined the growing list of Formula 1 figures predicting that newly crowned world champion Kimi Antonelli will eventually race for Ferrari.
The former Ferrari driver, having attended his home grand prix at Interlagos, told La Gazzetta dello Sport that the 20-year-old Italian would find it difficult to resist Maranello.
“I really like him. He’s fast and talented, but above all he’s a nice guy, very humble,” Barrichello said.
“Mercedes did well to invest in him, because today it’s easy to praise him, given that he won the World Championship, but choosing him when he was just a kid and bringing him straight to F1 with a top team was not a trivial choice.”
Barrichello, 54, said Antonelli’s championship triumph was particularly special for Italy, which has waited decades for another drivers’ title.
“And imagine what could happen if one day he were to race for Ferrari,” he said.
When asked whether he genuinely expects that to happen, Barrichello replied: “I think so.”
“Every driver’s dream at some point in their career is to race for Ferrari. Everyone is fascinated by the Prancing Horse. It’s something that has to do not only with success, but with history.
“And I think Kimi, as an Italian, is even more fascinated by this than other drivers.”
Antonelli, however, recently insisted he cannot currently imagine leaving Mercedes, which backed him from the age of 11.
Barrichello also welcomed the arrival of two Brazilian drivers on the grid, Gabriel Bortoleto and Rafael Camara.
“Brazil needs them,” he said.
“The last victory by a Brazilian in F1 was in 2009 at Monza with a certain Barrichello. It’s been too long.”