Antonelli has been backed by Mercedes from a very young age, with the team placing him under contract and funding his entire development pathway — from karting through the junior formulas — before ultimately handing him the chance to make his Formula 1 debut alongside George Russell at just 18 years old.

Speaking to Sky Sports, the Italian acknowledged Ferrari’s immense stature while also underlining the importance of Mercedes, a team he says he is deeply grateful to: “Ferrari are an incredible team with massive global stature, so of course racing for Ferrari would be amazing.

“In the end I’m really happy where I am and grateful for the opportunity Mercedes have given me. They’ve supported me all the way from karting through to F1 and have always been by my side. I’m very happy to be racing for a team like Mercedes, and the dream and the goal is to win a world championship with them.”

However, in his closing remarks, Antonelli still left the door slightly open to a potential move to Maranello further down the line: “As for the future, we’ll see — you never know — but for now, I’m very happy where I am.”

The Austrian chief singled out the young Italian not only for his raw pace but also for the level of composure he displayed during his debut Formula 1 campaign, despite having only just left his teenage years behind.

Antonelli’s first season was a mixed one, with a difficult opening phase in which he struggled to unlock consistent performance, followed by a far more convincing run in the latter part of the year. As the season progressed, he began to deliver the speed and racecraft that had already made him stand out throughout the junior ranks.

Wolff went on to admit that at the same age he himself was “a bit of an idiot” and would never have been able to cope with the intense pressure and responsibilities that modern Formula 1 places on a young driver — something Antonelli is now handling with impressive maturity.