It has been years since an Italian driver has competed in Formula 1, and even almost twenty years since an Italian has won a race. It seems a hopeless situation for Italy, but perhaps something interesting is happening in the minor series.

While Ferrari experienced a weekend to forget in Monaco, the Italian flag still flew high over the Principality. Indeed, in Formula 3, Italian Gabriele Minì won the feature race in Monaco, taking his first win of the season on one of the most prestigious circuits. Minì is now fourth in the championship and seems to have the momentum to do even better.

The youngster from Palermo is still only 18 years old and is in his first season in Formula 3, after finishing second last year in the European Formula Regional. With the leap in category, the young driver has also joined the Alpine Academy, thus securing the support of a Formula 1 team and the possibility, in the future, of having a path leading him towards the most important category in motorsport.

Still not much at the top

However, it will take a few years for Minì to make it to Formula 1, if he makes it there at all, and as things stand at the moment in the top series things are not going great for the Italians. In fact, the only Italians involved in F1 in any way are Ferrari's test and reserve drivers Giovinazzi, Fuoco and Rigon, all three of whom are far from promising young drivers and run for Ferrari mainly in the various WEC classes.

If we look at Formula 2, the situation is just as complicated. This is the second season in a row without Italian drivers, despite the presence of no less than two Italian teams, which however prefer to focus on foreign drivers. F2 being the stepping stone to Formula 1, it seems difficult to see an Italian in Formula 1 in the very short term. Giovinazzi may retain the title of 'last Italian driver' for a while yet

Further down, something is moving

Under Formula 2, however, the situation finally looks promising for Italy. We have already talked about Gabriele Minì, who seems to be the one closest to making the leap to the higher categories, but in F3 there is also Leonardo Fornaroli, who is tenth overall and has achieved a podium at Monte Carlo and one in Catalonia. He is a year older than Minì, but we are still talking about a very young driver.

Moving on to Formula Regional we find the driver on whom most hopes are pinned: Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The boy from Bologna is even a 2006, but he has already won Formula 4 in Germany and Italy, and this year he started the season by winning the Formula Regional in the Middle East. He is currently second in his debut season in the European Formula Regional, with three second places and one retirement.

Antonelli is part of the Mercedes academy and has received several words of praise from Toto Wolff. The path to the top is still a long one, also considering his young age, but his arrival in Formula 1 seems to be almost a foregone conclusion according to the insiders.

Then there is the Italian Formula 4 championship, which is obviously full of Italian drivers. For now, among them, the name of Brando Badoer stands out, who has already won two podiums and is fifth in the overall standings. If you are wondering, yes, he is the son of former Ferrari test driver and racer Luca Badoer.