Giancarlo Fisichella has reacted to Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s breakthrough Formula 1 victory at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Prior to Antonelli, Fisichella was the last Italian to grace the top step of the F1 podium with his victory with Renault at the 2006 Malaysian Grand Prix.
Two decades later, 19-year-old Antonelli etched his name into the F1 history books by becoming the latest Italian grand prix winner.
Antonelli followed up becoming the youngest driver to claim an F1 pole position by converting his front-of-the-grid start into an impressive maiden win, heading home Mercedes team-mate George Russell at Shanghai.
“If you consider the fact that when I won 20 years ago, Kimi was not even born!” Fisichella told F1.com.
“It’s just great. I’m happy for him and I’m proud of him. Honestly, it was too much, 20 years, to [wait and] see an Italian driver back on the top step of the podium.
“Kimi had a fantastic weekend. Like my weekend in Malaysia 20 years ago, he was really competitive already in practice, then he scored pole position and then he won the race, leading from the first lap until the last lap. It was almost perfect.
“In Italy, everybody has been talking about Kimi – everybody is happy. Also on my side, on the Sunday and Monday after the race, every journalist, TV station, everybody… they called me. After a long time that I stopped in F1… it’s not that they forget me, but now I am famous again!”
Fisichella claimed three F1 wins during his career
In the immediate aftermath of Antonelli’s first victory, talk quickly turned to whether he could mount a title challenge in just his second F1 season.
Both Antonelli’s father and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff were quick to downplay the suggestions, insisting such talk is “not good” for the Italian teenager.
Fisichella believes Antonelli has a shot at winning his first world title and tipped his fellow countryman to put pressure on his more experienced team-mate.
“He’ll have a chance to do it again, and not just once, but a few times,” Fisichella added. “He’s got the same opportunity as Russell, and at the moment Mercedes have the best car, so he’s got 50% of the chance to win races.
“Now it’s important for him to think race by race, with no pressure, because even if he finishes second, he’s got nothing to lose, it’s okay – he will do a fantastic job if he finishes second. If he wins? It’s even better. He can put some pressure on Russell.”
