VALENTINO ROSSI SAYS HE BACKS KIMI ANTONELLI OVER FERRARI IN THE 2026 F1 TITLE RACE

MotoGP icon Valentino Rossi has publicly backed Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the 2026 Formula 1 world championship, choosing to support the Italian driver over his compatriot’s Ferrari allegiance. Rossi, a seven-time premier-class champion, said he still understands the emotional pull of Ferrari in Italy, but that he’s ultimately “more a driver fan.” Speaking to Sky Sports F1 ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, Rossi explained: “You can imagine in Italy with Ferrari, that is like a religion. But I am more a driver fan. So I am with Kimi now.”

Rossi pointed to Antonelli’s pace and the rarity of an Italian winning the F1 title in recent decades. “He’s a great talent. He has a lot of speed and in Italy we never have a Formula 1 driver that can win the championship in the last 70 years. So this is very special,” he added. Antonelli’s current form has helped make that “special” scenario feel realistic: he has won five of the nine races so far and leads the standings by 25 points over Mercedes teammate George Russell.

The Italian connection extends beyond the drivers’ battle. Rossi noted that Ferrari’s season has also been strong, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc taking victories in the past three rounds. Even so, Hamilton remains 32 points behind Antonelli, while Ferrari is 78 points adrift of Mercedes in the constructors’ standings—figures that underline how much Antonelli’s lead matters as the championship progresses.

Rossi also framed his support in historical terms, saying he wants Antonelli to become only the third Italian to win the F1 world championship, following Giuseppe Farina and Alberto Ascari, the last of whom did it in 1953.

While Rossi is best known for his MotoGP achievements, he has long had an interest in motorsport beyond two wheels. He previously took part in F1 testing with Ferrari in 2004 and 2005, which fueled speculation about a potential switch that never happened. More recently, he has been competing in sportscars as a BMW factory driver and discussed a possible future appearance at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. “Yes, because it now looks like you can get the permit done in a single weekend,” Rossi said. “We are in talks with BMW to organise everything. The Nurburgring 24 Hours is definitely on my bucket list. I hope we can make it happen with BMW.”