Revealed: Where Kimi Antonelli ranks among F1’s most successful Italians
Is Kimi Antonelli the new championship favourite?
After back-to-back victories in China and Japan, Kimi Antonelli may be shaping up as Italy’s next Formula 1 superstar.
Italy is a nation with very strong connections to Formula 1. Think Ferrari and Monza. Yet Antonelli’s two grand prix wins already place him among Italy’s greatest Formula 1 drivers. Let us take a closer look at exactly where Antonelli ranks, and the fellow Italians who he must surpass to become Italy’s greatest F1 driver export.
Kimi Antonelli joins elite Italian Formula 1 winners list
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Antonelli is one of only seven Italian drivers to win two or more grands prix.
Reaching the F1 summit for the first time in China, Antonelli made history when he won again at the Japanese Grand Prix. With that, Antonelli became the youngest driver ever to lead the Formula 1 World Championship.
As a two-time grand prix winner, Antonelli moved ahead of some highly respected Italian F1 stars.
The following Italian drivers all won a single grand prix during their F1 career: Jarno Trulli, Alessandro Nannini, Vittorio Brambilla, Ludovico Scarfiotti, Lorenzo Bandini, Giancarlo Baghetti, Luigi Musso, Piero Taruffi and Luigi Fagioli.
With his two wins, Antonelli has company in the shape of Elio de Angelis. He won with Lotus at the 1982 Austrian Grand Prix, and again with the team at Imola in 1985.
Of course, as a two-time victor before even waving goodbye to his teenage years, Antonelli will have his sights set on more success to come. He will not be satisfied to call it a day at two.
So, let’s take a closer look at the drivers who Antonelli has in his sights next.
Giancarlo Fisichella
First up is a winner of three grands prix, Giancarlo Fisichella.
His first win came at the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix, one of the most memorable races ever witnessed at Interlagos.
The win was initially awarded to McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen, amid confusion over the timing of the red flag which concluded that race. A post-race appeal from Fischella’s Jordan team, which made it to court, later saw Brazil 2003 recognised as Fisichella’s maiden race win.
Fisichella later won two grands prix as a Renault driver: Australia 2005 and Malaysia 2006.
Michele Alboreto
Should Antonelli match the victory tally of Fisichella, then next on the list would be Michele Alboreto, a winner of five grands prix from 194 starts.
Alboreto first became a grand prix winner at Caesars Palace in 1982 with Tyrrell. He won again on American soil a year later, reigning supreme at the Detroit Grand Prix.
From there, Alboreto experienced one of Formula 1’s greatest honours, that being to win, as an Italian, with Ferrari.
Belgium 1984, and Canada/Germany 1985, Alboreto won with Ferrari three times over, bringing his final F1 career victory tally to five.
Riccardo Patrese
With six grand prix wins, one will find Riccardo Patrese.
He took the first of those wins at Monaco (what a place to do it) in 1982.
He won the 1983 South African Grand Prix, but had to wait until Imola 1990 for his next taste of victory. He won in Mexico and Portugal the following year, before a final career win at Suzuka in 1992.
Having made 256 grand prix starts, Patrese remains Italy’s most experienced F1 driver.
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Italian Formula 1 World Champions
It is fair to say that Kimi Antonelli went into F1 2026 unfancied for the World Championship.
His experienced Mercedes teammate George Russell was the favourite, and arguably still is.
Yet, Antonelli is rapidly turning doubters into believers. Appearing to have the edge over Russell at Suzuka, people are coming around to the idea that Antonelli is a genuine title contender.
Antonelli is looking to achieve what only two other Italians ever have in becoming World Champion.
Giuseppe Farina
The very first champion in the history of the Formula 1 World Championship, just to happened to be Italy’s Giuseppe Farina, in 1950.
He won five grands prix that year with Alfa Romeo – three of those Championship races – on his way to the 1950 crown.
Alberto Ascari
Italy has produced one multi-time World Champion, an instantly-recognisable name of the sport.
Alberto Ascari won the 1952 and 1953 titles back-to-back, with Ferrari.
He won 13 grands prix from 32 starts. Quite the return!
Ascari was tragically killed at Monza in 1955 during a testing crash. The high-speed turn where Ascari’s crash occurred was reprofiled into a chicane, and renamed the Variante Ascari in his honour, a corner name which the iconic venue still carries to this day.
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