Ferrari vice chairman Piero Ferrari has opened the door to the possibility of Kimi Antonelli joining the Scuderia in the future.

Ferrari admits he would welcome the prospect of seeing an Italian driver behind the wheel of a car bearing his father's name.

The 20-year-old Mercedes youngster Antonelli has emerged as one of Formula 1's most exciting talents in 2026 - and could be crowned as the sport's youngest ever world champion as early as this weekend's United States Grand Prix.

While acknowledging that existing contracts and commitments must be respected, the 81-year-old Ferrari made no secret of his enthusiasm about a potential Antonelli move to Maranello.

Ferrari would 'love' to see an Italian leading iconic team

Speaking to il Resto del Carlino, he said: "Ah, so many circumstances come into play here: there are contracts to be respected, commitments already made.

"And then, I'm not a hypocrite; who wouldn't love to see an Italian behind the wheel of a car bearing my father's name?

"And I imagine that, given his roots, the boy from Bologna wouldn't mind either. Maybe one day it will happen, why not?"

Ferrari compares Antonelli to Maranello great Lauda

Ferrari says he has never met Antonelli but counts himself 'a distant admirer' of the young Mercedes phenomenon. He compared him favourably with a former Maranello icon in the shape of the great Niki Lauda.

"You see, in Formula 1, age once mattered; even a champion like Lauda arrived on the track a few years older than Antonelli. Now we live in an era where debut times are much earlier.

"Given this premise, the comparison holds true because Kimi, like the first Niki at Ferrari, immediately demonstrated an almost surprising maturity. I don't recall the Austrian making any serious mistakes when my father entrusted him with our car.

"Likewise, Antonelli was able to avoid the mistakes born of inexperience. This is a very significant detail, because it bears witness to the champion's poise."

Ferrari in 2026 needs 'action, not talk'

While talk of Antonelli is very much the future when it comes to Ferrari, the current Scuderia has enjoyed a troubled second half of the 2026 season.

The promise generated by early wins for Lewis Hamilton in Barcelona and Charles Leclerc at Silverstone has been followed by familiar strategic failings, tension between the team's two drivers and speculation about the future of team principal Fred Vasseur.

Ferrari himself believes this is not the time to be speaking about those failings - instead he says actions must come first.

"I humbly believe that our team needs action, not talk. This year we've seen some good things and some less so.

"We all have a duty to work towards the goal that our fans, who we must always thank for their patience, have been waiting for for so many years.

"In the meantime, congratulations once again to Kimi. He's a son of our motorsports land."