Ecclestone issues warning: Antonelli’s best years are still ahead

Former Formula 1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone has commented on Mercedes’ Italian driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli winning the 2026 championship.

TodayPress TV reports that his remarks were published by RacingNews365.

The 95-year-old Ecclestone believes the 20-year-old driver could eventually reach the level of Max Verstappen.

“There were two drivers I once hoped would become world champions: one was Max Verstappen, and the other is him. Although I know Max better, I think Antonelli will become another Max.

“He has all the qualities Max possesses. He wants to win and will do whatever it takes to achieve that. Like Max, when he gets into the car, he has only one thought in his mind: winning the race.

“Max’s father was somewhat tough on him when he was a child, but that pushed him to wake up and move forward. Kimi’s father, by contrast, seems to take the opposite approach: he is understanding and tries to keep him calm. But we have yet to see Kimi at his best. I think we will be surprised by just how strong he can become. In two or three years, you will see him turn into another Max.

“He needs to go through a few difficult periods to be properly toughened up. After that, watch out!

“The best approach would be to adopt some of what Max’s father did with him — to make him understand that life is not always easy. You have to accept the bad times as well as the good ones and try to make sure they do not happen again,” Ecclestone said.

Namiq HUN