Antonelli 'disrupting rules of fandom' in Ferrari's Italy

Kimi Antonelli has been hailed as a generational talent in Formula 1; the driver who can end the 73-year wait for an Italian world champion.

In March, Antonelli became the youngest-ever championship leader when he sealed victory in Japan at 19 years, seven months and four days.

And he has stayed there ever since.

This weekend, Antonelli arrives at the Italian Grand Prix with a 59-point advantage at the top of the standings after winning six races so far this year.

There is just one small issue: the young star drives for Mercedes, not Italy's beloved Ferrari.

"Ferrari is my heart," says Thomas, who is Monza born and bred, to BBC Sport at the circuit on Friday.

"It's a religion," says Emanuele, who is at the grand prix with his daughter, Matilde. "In Italy, we do support other teams and other sports, but there is only one Ferrari."

Ferrari is Formula 1 in Italy; natives joke that the position of Scuderia team principal is just as important as the identity of the Pope.

So, with fans flocking to worship at the Temple of Speed, just how do Italians feel about Antonelli battling Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc for race wins and the drivers' championship?

When a Ferrari driver triumphs in F1, the team's spiritual home of Maranello rejoices.

"It's like the second coming effectively; everyone's in the streets singing, dancing, church bells are ringing. It's a party in the streets," says Adrian Hussain, who is a member of the Scuderia Ferrari Club Silverstone and half-Italian.

Those famous bells last rung out in honour of a Ferrari world champion in 2007, when Finn Kimi Raikkonen won his only title by a single point.

Italy has not produced a world champion driver since Alberto Ascari claimed back-to-back titles for Ferrari in 1952 and 1953. For most Italians, seeing a title winner draped in il Tricolore - for any team on the grid - has been a dream rather than a reality.

But Antonelli's ascendancy this year has opened the door for Italy to embrace a new hero - even if he does drive for the direct competition.

"Antonelli is disrupting the traditional rules of fandom in Italy," Giulia Toninelli, a journalist for La Gazzetta dello Sport, Italy's most widely read sports newspaper, tells BBC Sport.

Toninelli says Antonelli's "strong personality" has won over the Italian public, especially the younger fanbase. "And the fact that he is racing for Mercedes matters very little to them."

In the fanzone at Monza, a household is divided. While Alessandro is decked out in Ferrari red, his girlfriend, Emma, is wearing the silver of Mercedes.

"Of course, I am a little bit of a Ferrarista because I'm Italian. But honestly, I love Kimi, I support him," says Emma.

If Antonelli does win this year's world title, with the season finale possibly being held at Imola, about 25 miles from where he grew up in Bologna, both Emma and Alessandro agree it would mean "Italy is back on top".

Five-time MotoGP race winner Marco Melandri and 2012 GP2 series champion and F1 TV's Davide Valsecchi present the Chiacchiere da Box, external (Paddock Chatter) podcast, where the two ex-racers discuss and analyse everything that's happened during F1 and MotoGP weekends.

"I think Kimi is living the dream, even of the Italian fans," says Italian Melandri. "But in Italy, a lot of people are very close to Ferrari, they are pushing for Ferrari. So sometimes they are fighting themselves to understand, to choose who is their favourite driver. But I think Kimi is doing something amazing."

Compatriot Valsecchi feels the same: "We are loving it. It's a big surprise for everyone, knowing that an Italian driver, so young, is leading the championship, is driving so well, and is mentally so strong. So, at the moment, everything is perfect for us."

'Sometimes in Italy, we lack a bit of patience'

Antonelli has been a Mercedes protege since he was 11 years old.

After just one season in Formula 2, Silver Arrows team principal Toto Wolff fast-tracked him into the seat vacated by seven-time world champion Hamilton in 2025, after the Briton left to join Ferrari in a blockbuster move.

Antonelli's introduction to F1 last year was a steep learning curve, and after a bruising European leg of the season that featured four retirements and only three points, he finished his debut campaign seventh in the championship.

Mercedes have made sure to put an arm around Antonelli whenever there has been a mishap. When the then 18-year-old crashed during his very first practice session in Monza two years ago, Wolff was straight on the team radio with five soothing words: "All good, Kimi. All good."