Steiner: Ferrari will get Antonelli — but only when he decides

Guenther Steiner believes Kimi Antonelli will race for Ferrari at some point — but the former Haas boss is equally certain the Scuderia has no say in when. Antonelli sealed the 2026 title in Mexico City this month, ending Italy's 73-year wait for a world champion since Alberto Ascari's 1953 crown with Ferrari.

Why it matters:

Italy's newest sporting hero drives for Mercedes, and that remains an itch Italian fans cannot scratch. Steiner frames the eventual move as gravity rather than recruitment: Ferrari won't sign Antonelli, Antonelli will arrive when he chooses.

The details:

• Steiner, now team principal at Tech3 in MotoGP, told RacingNews365 the situation is "the only not-so-perfect thing for Italy."
• He dismissed a near-term switch: "Will it be short term? No. It will be maybe 10 years out."
• His sharper point was about leverage — "I would turn it around. They will get him. He could go tomorrow if he wants."
• The contract: Antonelli is tied to Mercedes through at least the end of 2027.
• The loyalty: Brackley signed him at 11, developed him through its junior programme, and he delivered a title in only his second season.
• Antonelli addressed the noise at Monza in September, calling Ferrari "a massive, incredible brand" while insisting he is "very happy where I am."

What's next:

Mercedes' priority is making Brackley a place he never wants to leave, with the 2027 regulations the first real test of that pitch. Ferrari can only wait — and hope the pull of Maranello outlasts a silver dynasty.