Italian Pride Restored: Fisichella Celebrates Antonelli's Historic Run

Giancarlo Fisichella has hailed Kimi Antonelli as the new face of Italian motorsport, praising the 19-year-old's meteoric rise in Formula 1. The 53-year-old former driver, who last won a Grand Prix in 2006, has witnessed his country's 20-year wait for an Italian race winner come to an end through Antonelli's extraordinary 2026 season.

"I will say ‘finally!’ I'm happy about that because 20 years is too long. The last Italian winner of a Grand Prix was myself 20 years ago, and now this year, with Kimi, this is done,"

Record-Breaking Beginnings

Antonelli's domination began with consecutive wins in China, Japan, Miami, Canada, and Monaco - including three straight pole positions and victories. While his winning streak was interrupted by reliability issues in Barcelona-Catalunya and Great Britain, he remains in the Drivers' Championship lead with a 25-point advantage over George Russell.

"He is so clever. He's so quick. And he won five races, five pole positions in a row. This is something amazing. I won three races in my life, in 231 Grands Prix. And he won already five races in just less than 30 races of his career. So, this is just great,"

Pressure and Potential

Despite the early success, Fisichella acknowledges the challenges ahead. "He needs to think just race by race. Not taking too much pressure. Concentrate like he drove, in the last couple of races, and, and they can he can fight for the championship. I'm sure. Kimi, his face, he looks like a baby, but, when, when he closed the visor, a completely different story,"

Italy's Road to Redemption

The last Italian to win the Drivers' Championship was Alberto Ascari in 1953. Fisichella believes Antonelli's maturity and experience from his 2025 season - which included three podiums despite a rocky start - position him well for a title challenge. "With the experience of last year, especially with a good car now – he is very confident and he's very comfortable in the car,"