Mercedes has barely had time to polish the trophy. Guenther Steiner is already telling anyone listening that the young driver who won it should be in a red car.
The former Haas boss argued in an interview with RacingNews365 that Kimi Antonelli, who clinched the 2026 drivers’ title in Mexico City nine days ago, could change teams whenever he wanted.
“I would turn it around. They will get him. He could go tomorrow if he wants,” Steiner told RacingNews365.
Antonelli finished third at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on November 2 to seal the championship, becoming the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history at 20 years and 68 days old. He is also the first Italian driver to hold the crown since Alberto Ascari in 1953, a gap of 73 years.
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The Italian paradox
Steiner framed the mismatch sharply. In his view, a Bolognese teenager winning the title for a German team is the only blemish on a season Italy has otherwise owned.
“Some people ask why he is not driving for us. That’s the only not-so-perfect thing for Italy, that there is an Italian champion not driving for Ferrari,” he told RacingNews365.
Steiner also softened the timeline, suggesting a near-term switch is unlikely but inevitable in the long run because of Antonelli’s youth and talent.
Mercedes has the contract
The practical obstacle is the paperwork. Mercedes exercised an option this year that keeps Antonelli at Brackley through the end of 2027, alongside George Russell. Team principal Toto Wolff has publicly committed to keeping that pairing in place.
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“We don’t want to change things. I think it’s a line-up that is good for us. I’m very happy with the two of them,” Wolff told Sky Sports via Yahoo Sports at the Austrian Grand Prix earlier this year.
Ferrari leaves the door open
Ferrari’s own leadership has not denied the long-term pull. Vice chairman Piero Ferrari, speaking to Italian media in October, said he could imagine Antonelli at the Scuderia one day while stressing that existing deals have to be honoured.
“Maybe one day it will happen, why not?” Ferrari told GPblog.
The 81-year-old, son of the team’s founder, also compared Antonelli to Niki Lauda, the two-time Ferrari champion of the 1970s.
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World champion rolls into Vegas
Antonelli’s first race as world champion is the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 21, the 21st of 23 rounds on the 2026 calendar. Qatar and Abu Dhabi follow before the season closes.
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