Antonelli’s Ferrari move is about 10 years away, Steiner says
NXTbets Pro | Published On: November 13, 2026
Antonelli and Ferrari
Guenther Steiner sees Kimi Antonelli in red someday. He also sees that day a long way off. Steiner said Antonelli will eventually drive for Ferrari, but he put the move at about 10 years away, a timeline that keeps the Mercedes driver in place for the near future while leaving room for the Italian marque to circle back later. In Steiner’s view, the pull between an Italian star and Ferrari is too strong for Maranello to ignore, and he said it would be natural for an Italian world champion to race for the team at some point.
That idea fits Steiner’s view that it is natural for Italians to talk about Ferrari. Steiner said Ferrari would welcome Antonelli with open arms if that day arrives. For now, though, the move remains a projection, not a plan, and Steiner’s view points to a future that is still years away.
Antonelli’s own words point in a different direction. He has said he is happy at Mercedes and still has so much to give back to the team. He has also said he feels loyal to Mercedes, the organization that gave him his Formula 1 opportunity. That loyalty matters because it places his present firmly with Mercedes while Ferrari talk remains a long-range idea. Antonelli is contracted to Mercedes through at least the end of 2027, which gives the team control over the next phase of his career and keeps any possible switch well down the road.
Mercedes and Antonelli
Mercedes also has every reason to keep building around him. Antonelli won the 2026 Formula 1 world championship and did it as the youngest-ever Formula 1 world champion. That title changed the scale of the conversation around him.
The championship also gives Mercedes a strong argument in its favor. Antonelli did not leave the team searching for a breakthrough, he delivered one. Steiner said Antonelli’s current title is only the start and suggested he could win several more world championships with Mercedes. That is a major statement about the scale of Antonelli’s potential and the environment around him. It also frames Mercedes as a place where his ceiling may be higher than the usual career arc for a young champion. When a driver wins early and keeps growing, the team that brought him there gains leverage in every future decision.
Antonelli’s own comments reinforce that picture. He has spoken like a driver settled in with his current team, not one scanning the horizon for an immediate exit. Those are the words of a driver who understands where he is and what brought him there. They also make Steiner’s long view more believable. A Ferrari move may one day fit the sport’s biggest Italian storyline, but it does not fit the present moment.
Antonelli’s title
Antonelli’s title already carries historical weight beyond his age. His championship ended Italy’s wait for another Formula 1 world champion, a drought that stretched back to Alberto Ascari’s 1953 title. That detail gives the season a wider national meaning and explains why the Ferrari conversation comes so naturally. Antonelli now sits at the center of that tradition after delivering the country’s first world champion in generations.
The result also raises the stakes for what comes next. Steiner’s view is that Antonelli’s championship opens the next chapter. That outlook keeps the focus on development, winning and continuity rather than any immediate move elsewhere. It also suggests that Antonelli’s best years may still be ahead of him, with more titles possible before any long-term decision about Ferrari ever reaches the table.
For now, the story is simple. Antonelli has a championship, Mercedes has a young star under contract and Ferrari remains the natural destination people will keep mentioning whenever an Italian driver rises to the top. Steiner has put a number on that future, and the number is a long one. Antonelli’s path to Ferrari, if it comes at all, looks distant. His path to more success with Mercedes looks far more immediate.
