Kimi Antonelli reaffirms Mercedes loyalty amid Ferrari speculation at Bandini Trophy ceremony

Kimi Antonelli has firmly shut down suggestions of a future move to Ferrari, reaffirming his loyalty to Mercedes while accepting the prestigious Lorenzo Bandini Trophy in Italy this week.

The 19-year-old driver has been under intense media scrutiny after becoming the youngest driver to lead the Formula 1 drivers' championship with his win at the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix.

His victory at Suzuka came on the back of his maiden F1 win at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, and he has since gone on to claim two more grand prix wins in Miami and Canada. 

After his win in Montreal, Antonelli travelled to Brisighella to be honoured at the 33rd edition of the Trofeo Lorenzo Bandini. Established in 1992 in memory of the late Lorenzo Bandini, the trophy is awarded to individuals for "a commendable performance in motorsport".

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photo by: Mario Renzi / Formula 1 via Getty Images

After accepting the award, Antonelli sat down with the media. When asked about recent chatter about potentially joining Ferrari in the future, the Italian driver explained: "Ferrari is a huge team with an incredible following and will remain in history forever. But I am a Mercedes driver, and my goal is to win with Mercedes. They gave me a great opportunity from a young age, supported me throughout my entire journey, and I feel a duty to give my best for this team. Then, we'll see."

Previous recipients of the award include David Coulthard in 1995, Jacques Villeneuve in 1996, Jenson Button in 2001, Michael Schumacher in 2003, Lewis Hamilton in 2010 and Max Verstappen in 2016, among many others.

Antonelli now looks ahead to the sixth round of the 2026 season in Monte Carlo from 5-7 June. Heading into the Monaco Grand Prix, the Mercedes driver has a 43-point lead over his team-mate George Russell, with 131 points compared to the Briton's 88 points.