Ecclestone: Ferrari must sign Antonelli, predicts Mercedes exit

Bernie Ecclestone says Ferrari must sign Kimi Antonelli and predicts a future move from Mercedes.

The 96-year-old former Formula 1 chief made the statement to F1-Insider.

Ecclestone believes the connection between the Italian driver and Scuderia Ferrari is too strong to ignore.

"Ferrari has no choice, it must sign him," Ecclestone said.

"Kimi's heart beats for Italy, and if he continues winning — and I am convinced he will — he will move to Ferrari out of love for his country."

Andrea Kimi Antonelli has just been crowned Formula 1's newest world champion.

He secured the title in Mexico City.

Speculation about a potential future with Ferrari has followed him throughout the season.

There was a moment nine years ago when Antonelli and Ferrari could have come together.

Then-team principal Maurizio Arrivabene was reluctant to invest in a driver who was just 11 years old.

Mercedes took advantage of the opportunity.

The rest is history.

Arrivabene has since explained why Ferrari passed on Antonelli at such a young age.

Piero Ferrari has also expressed his dream of seeing Antonelli race for the Scuderia.

This came after Antonelli's 2026 championship triumph.

For now, Antonelli remains a Mercedes driver.

Ecclestone's comments represent his personal expectation, not a confirmed transfer.

The world champion has previously addressed the possibility of racing for Ferrari.

He made clear that his immediate focus remains on succeeding with Mercedes.

He did not rule out a move later in his career.

Ecclestone also drew a striking comparison between Antonelli and Max Verstappen.

He spoke separately to RacingNews365.

Ecclestone suggested that Antonelli possesses the same relentless determination as Verstappen.

Antonelli carries race number 12.

It is the number Ayrton Senna used for part of his own career.

Antonelli will keep it again next season purely to honor Senna.

Senna has long been the guiding inspiration behind Antonelli's career.

The Italian grew up on stories of the three-time champion.

He has idolized Senna since childhood.

That made his visit to the Senna family all the more significant.

Upon arriving in Brazil after becoming world champion, Antonelli traveled with his father Marco.

They spent time with Bruno, Bianca and Paula Senna.

Bruno is Ayrton's nephew.

Bianca and Paula are Ayrton's nieces.

The new world champion shared a photo on Instagram.

He is sitting in the legendary Lotus 98T.

It is the car in which Senna won the Spanish and Detroit Grands Prix in 1986.

It carried the same number 12.

Antonelli wrote on Instagram: "An unforgettable day. Thank you to the entire Senna family. It will take some time to sink in, but I will carry these memories with me forever."

Paula Senna shared more photos of the visit.

She wrote: "We had the pleasure of welcoming the newest world champion, Kimi Antonelli on a very special occasion: standing next to Ayrton Senna's iconic Lotus, celebrating his victory with a very heartfelt gift, one of my sculptures of Ayrton."

"And we had the opportunity to see from ourselves what a special character he is."

"A connection between generations who share the same passion for motorsports and the pursuit of excellence."

"Congratulations, Kimi, on this great achievement and on the career you've been building on the track!"

For Antonelli, it was clearly a special and emotional visit.

Formula 1's driver market is always in motion.

Contracts are typically negotiated years in advance.

Antonelli's current deal with Mercedes is not publicly known in full detail.

Ferrari's current driver lineup includes Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton joined Ferrari for the 2025 season.

Leclerc's contract runs through at least 2027.

This means any Antonelli move would likely require a seat to open up.

Ecclestone's prediction suggests he believes that will happen.

The former F1 boss ran the sport for decades.

His opinions carry weight in the paddock.

But he has no official role in driver negotiations.

Antonelli has not commented on Ecclestone's statement.

Mercedes has not issued a response.

Ferrari has not confirmed any interest.

The São Paulo Grand Prix takes place this weekend.

Antonelli will compete as world champion for the first time.

He plans an Ayrton Senna tribute in Sao Paulo.

This will mark his first race as world champion.

The visit to the Senna family happened just days ago.

Antonelli described it as unforgettable.

The Senna family welcomed him warmly.

Paula Senna gave him one of her sculptures of Ayrton.