Can Antonelli create his own 'Orange Army'? This is what the Italian thinks!

Although Andrea Kimi Antonelli will not drive for Ferrari, he can surely count on the support of the Italian fans. But can he compare this to the love that Max Verstappen receives from his Dutch fans? The young Italian responded to this question at the F1 75 event.

The last time an Italian driver won the World Championship was 72 years ago. Andrea Kimi Antonelli told GPblog and other media in London that he is expecting support from his country. "The Tifosi are, they have a really strong passion for Ferrari, but I think they're very excited for the next Italian driver," the 18 year shared.

"There's a lot of hype around already, but I think it's great," Antonelli continued. "There's such a positive energy and I'm really looking forward to be racing mostly in my two home races because many people are very excited and I think it's gonna be great. And to be honest, I don't really feel a shadow [from Ferrari], but I mean, we'll see how things get."

Antonelli made his debut for Mercedes in front of his home crowd at Monza where the young driver's free practice session came to an early end, crashing out after only a few minutes.

Formula One has been without an Italian driver for several years, with the most recent being Antonio Giovinazzi who drove for Sauber until 2021. Antonelli will end this three-season drought with his full-time debut in 2025.

This article has been created in collaboration with Sandy van Wijngaarden.