LEGENDS: Giancarlo Fisichella on winning for Italy + Antonelli’s potential

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1:33Download the GameTime app and create an account for$20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Kimi, last year it was a bit up and down. But I think with the experience of last year, especially with a good car, now is very confident and is very comfortable in the car. It's so quick and able to manage the pressure and winning the race.

2:04Giancarlo Fisichella knows all about carrying Italy's hopes in Formula One. 20 years since his last Grand Prix win, he's loving watching his countryman, Kimi Antonelli, flying the flag on the top step of the podium and watching former teammate Fernando Alonso and former rival Lewis Hamilton still racing. Here on F1 Beyond the Grid, Giancarlo tells me, Tom Clarkson, about handling pressure as a young driver, playing a supporting role in Alonso's championship seasons at Renault and whether Kimi could one day follow further in Fizzy's footsteps and drive for Ferrari.

2:45great to see you again great to have you back on the show how are you hi tom it's it's just great to be back here and i'm fine i remember the first time we met each other was a long time ago a long time ago and actually you were making pizzas at your home in roma in 2001 2001 yeah But I think we met earlier. Even before then, we did. Minardi, 96. I hope my pizza was good. Now, Giancarlo, I want to talk to you about a lot of stuff today, but can we begin with this? You are no longer the last Italian to win a Grand Prix. He's driven brilliantly. He is the winner of the Malaysian Grand Prix, Giancarlo Fisichella.

3:34fantastic performance by the 33 year old from Rome

3:47that was you back in Malaysia 2006 and of course Kimi Antonelli's doing the business this year I'd just love to get your take on that on the job that that Kimi's done so far in 2026 I would say finally. I'm happy about that because 20 years is too long. You know, last Italian winner of a Grand Prix was myself 20 years ago. And now this year, with Kimi, this is done. And I'm really happy about what he's doing so far. He's so clever, he's so quick and he won five races, he scored five positions in a row. This is something, you know, amazing. I won three races in my life in 231 Grand Prix and he won already five races in just less than 30 races of his career.

4:44How much, Giancarlo, has Italy missed a race-winning driver? Yeah, a lot. Not just, you know, by single race, but also the world championship. So it was, I don't remember when, maybe it was a scurry. It was a scurry in 1953. So 70, 80 years ago. It's too much. It's too much. I think he's got a chance. He needs to think just race by race, not taking too much pressure. be concentrated like he drew in the last couple of races and he can fight for the championship I'm sure. Can we go into more depth about the stage that Kimi's at because I'd like to compare it to you back in 96 with Menardi. You were 23 back then.

5:33Kimi's even younger, he's 19 but what are the pressures like on a young guy in Formula 1? Yeah, obviously now it's different is nearly normal to see a young guy, 18 years old, 19 years old, like Kimi or like Max Verstappen a few years ago. For them, it's easier because they can start racing in a Formula 4 already when you are 15. In my era, there was a possibility to race in Formula 3 or something like that when you were 18 years old. So I think they are three, four years ahead of us. And because they start racing already when they are 15, when they get to Formula One, when they are 18, 19 years old, I think they are already prepared for it.

6:21So age is just a number. Yes, exactly. Obviously, if you see, you know, Kimi on his face, he looks like a baby. But when he jumps, when he closes the visor, it's a completely different story. How did you change between year one and year two? that you did that weird half season in 96, bit of DTM touring cars at the same time. How did you change between 96 and 97? And can you relate to the change that we've seen in Kimi from last year to this year? Yeah, I mean, my first season was in 1996, but I did half of the season because Minardi was looking for a driver with a good sponsor. And in the middle of the season, another guy came with the money and replaced myself.

7:14I did some races, eight races. In some races, I had a problem, technical problem. Some races, I did a mistake, so I didn't finish the race. But I took some experience and it was good to start the 1997 with a new team, with a Jordan team, with, let's say, a good car. Not good everywhere, but somewhere it was good. In fact, I was quick in Hockenheim. I was in second position in the grid. I scored my first podium in Canada in 1997. So it was a good season for me. I think I learned quite a lot from 1996. And in 1997 was my first full season. But Fisi, was it pressure? How to deal with pressure? Is that one of the biggest things you learned between year one and year two?

8:13Yeah, yeah. The pressure was quite important. It was quite... The adrenaline before the race was quite difficult to manage it. But I think I did a very good season. Then the day after, I went to Benetton. And then when you look at Kimi Antonelli, you know he had that European run last year where he scored just three points in nine races look at him this year he doesn't put a foot wrong and is that partly learning to deal with pressure for sure for sure you know the first test ever he was in Monza two years ago and he crashed the car so wasn't a good start for him and then last year he was a bit up and down with some mistakes with not good performance.

9:05But I think this year, you know, with the experience of last year, especially with a good car, now it's very confident and it's very comfortable in the car. Plus the experience of last year now is so quick and able to manage the pressure and winning the race. And how important do you think Toto Wolff has been in his development? I think it's the key. It's the key of Kimi's career. I think Toto took already Kimi when he was young in go-kart. It gave him the possibility to grow up year by year in go-kart and then in Formula 4, Formula Renault, no, Freca, and then Formula 3. Formula 2 by obviously the help of Toto Wolff and Mercedes and Toto is the guy who was believing in Kimi for first especially after Monza crash in testing two years ago, everybody were saying you think it's too early to put Kimi in Mercedes maybe it's better to put him in another team and then in a few years taking him in Mercedes.

10:28What did you think? If you'd been managing Kimi Antonelli, would you have put him straight in a Mercedes or would you have put him in a team further back? For sure straight in a Mercedes. You would have done? Yes. Sink or swim. Yes. I see a few parallels between Antonelli and you, Giancarlo, in that you came from that sort of DT. I mean, obviously F3 and single-seaters, but those couple of years driving touring cars, Kimi's family are big into GT racing, Marco, his dad and stuff like that. Do you think driving lots of different cars helps you develop as a racing driver more than if you just focus on open wheel?

11:08It depends because, you know, driving a GT car and F1 car or F3, F2, whatever it's a complete style of driving the GT is much heavier there is less grip, less power and obviously you need to do a different trajectory, you need to jump on the curbs and with a Formula 1 car you need to be away from the curbs so it's not easy but if you are a talent a real talent like Kimi I think you can, maybe it's an help trying to do some training, some races in both categories. Cadillac has entered Formula One, deepening the racing pedigree behind every V-series on the road. Discover a line-up that delivers pure adrenaline in the form of modern luxury.

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12:43Relatives. I can tell. You drove here high, didn't you? So what makes you think law enforcement can't? I can tell. If you feel different, you drive different. Drive high, get a DUI. Paid for by NHTSA.

13:06While we're talking GT cars, what do you make of Max Verstappen doing his Nürburgring 24 hours and his passion for GT3? This is great. I love him. I like him because he loves to be in a car every week, every day. Also, you know, maybe during the race weekend in Formula One in the night he's on the simulator. He never sleeps. He never sleeps. That's passion. It was very important to have Max in the 24 hours of Nürburgring. Now the GT championships around the world are more important. And I'm sure Max will do in the future Le Mans 24 hours and Spa 24 hours. I'm sure. Is it a different mindset, a 24-hour race?

14:02Because you've done Le Mans, what, 13 times now? 13 times, yeah. Is it a completely different mindset to this? Absolutely. First of all, you need to share the car with the other two drivers. And in Formula One, the other driver is your first opponent. In a GT car, in a 24 hours old man, you know, you need to find a very good friendship with your teammates. You need to find a good setup, which is good for everybody. The atmosphere has to be relaxed. It's very important. And then during the stint, you need to push. Absolutely, you need to push always because now 24 hours of Le Mans are like 24 hours of qualifying session.

14:44But sometimes you need to understand when is the time to push, when is the time to take care about the tires, maybe saving fuel. So it's a long race. Everything could happen. I remember in 2012, well, we started from the last position and we won the race. So you've got a time to do well, to recovering from last position. It's important to be consistent. And that's the key here. You talk about a relaxed atmosphere. We had Flavio Briatore on this show, and he was saying that you and Alonso, that partnership in 2005-2006 was the benchmark for teammates. He said when he looks at Colopinto and Gasly now, he wants the atmosphere that you and Alonso created all those years ago.

15:40Why do you think it worked so well between you and Fernando? Yeah, first of all, I think there was respect from each other and we understood working together was the key to go ahead with the team for the development of the car. So we were working very well together. We were sharing our telemetry, saying the right direction to the engineers to improve the car. And when we were out from the F1 car, after the briefing and wherever, our PR staff, we were really friends. Sometimes two hours before the start of the race, we were playing cards with Flavio. And it was funny because Flavio was with our physio and me and Fernando, we were together and we were usually cheating with the cards.

16:43And Flavio was getting crazy every time because he was losing. was very upset with our physio. So it was funny, very funny. Great stories. Do you need to be friends for a teammate relationship to work? Yeah, don't say friends, but you need to be together, share all the advertising, all the, you know, anything you can give to the team and to your teammate to be quicker, to improve himself, it's important. It's important for both of us. So when you look at George Russell, Kimi Antonelli now, do you think they have what I call now the Fisichella Alonso ingredients? I don't know. I don't know yet because I think in Canada they were a little bit upset after the race.

17:43Also Toto wasn't happy. Also in the last race in Barcelona, they were fighting for their position in the last few laps. I don't know. I don't think there is the same atmosphere, but they will know. This raises a really interesting question because a lot of people have been saying recently that let's bring it on to Ferrari and Hamilton now. Hamilton wins in Spain and people are saying for Hamilton to have a proper chance of beating Mercedes this year, Ferrari are going to have to favor him ahead of Charles Leclerc. Do you agree with that? I don't agree with the words of Ferrari. They're going to favor Lewis.

18:27I'm sure Ferrari has tried to build a good car to both drivers, for sure. The last race, it was a very good race for Ferrari, for Lewis. Unfortunately, Charles crashed the car in the qualifying session. But without this problem, without the crash in the qualifying session, probably Charles could have the same chance to Lewis to fight for the race, to win the race. They made a good improvement. I think at the moment, probably the car is the best car to drive of the paddock. They need to improve a little bit on the power. But you think it's too early to park Charles? Absolutely, it's too early, yes, yes.

19:13So what does it mean favouring one driver over another? Is it a, because Ferrari famously prioritized Schumacher. And it's funny that we're talking here in Austria. Do you remember 2002 when Rubens Barrichello was asked to move over and let him win at what was only race six? So, I mean, Ferrari have form, don't they, in terms of favoring one over the other? Well, I remember also when I was in Renault in 2005, 2006, when I had, after the start of the season, a few mechanical and technical problems. So I lost the possibility to score a lot of points. I was quite behind Fernando. That was the time to work for Fernando and for the team.

19:59So sometimes I was working also Friday and Saturday morning to help the team, like to understand, to use one set more of the tyres, to understand which one was good for the qualifying session or which one was good for the race distance. Sometimes in the race I was, you know, I was quicker than Fernando and I was waiting for him to give the position. How hard was that for you? A bit hard, but it's part of our job. But Fizi, you're a competitor, right? Who won loads in the junior formulas, Monaco Formula 3, stuff like that. When you get the call, do you pretend radio is not working? Radio is, you know.

20:42Yeah, at the first call, you say, what should I do? And then you need to answer, okay, you have to do it. But I don't think it's the case of Ferrari at the moment. Let's wait a few races. let's talk a little more about Lewis and Ferrari now it's been a long time since they've had a driver's champion how influential has Lewis been in turning around their performance how long have they been needing someone of his stature to lead the team I mean last year Lewis was struggling a little bit apart from some races where he was quick I remember he won the sprint race in China but then somewhere it was really struggling compared to Charles compared to other drivers also in a few interviews he was really upset with himself but when Ferrari took him I was really happy some people were saying why Ferrari signed a contract with Lewis you think he's too old And I said, you will see seven times world championship.

21:58It's still in a good shape and it's got a great experience. It just needs a good car. And in Barcelona, I show what I just said. And how, I mean, you race for a lot of British teams, you know, Team Enstone for what, seven years and then Team Jordan Force India for five years. How different is Ferrari to those Garagiste teams? First of all, I race just for five races. And, you know, it's different starting the season from the beginning. But obviously, it's an Italian team. It's Ferrari. So the atmosphere there for me was fantastic. Straight away, I felt to be like in a family. And I felt straight away comfortable.

22:46Unfortunately, the car was a bit difficult to drive. and jumping from Force India to Ferrari at the end of the season without testing wasn't easy. But, you know, it was a good opportunity for me at the end of my career to realise one of my dreams since when I was young to drive for Ferrari. And I made it. Is the way the team operates different to a British-based team? No, not really. I felt, as I told you, straight away at home, the operation of the team during the weekend is pretty similar to the other team. And for an Italian, I suppose the media, that side of it, ramps up massively if you're in a red car.

23:42Yeah, I realise what means Ferrari, an Italian driver, and especially in the Monza Grand Prix, which was my first race. What a place to make your debut, yeah. I was, you know, still dreaming, but depressed. It was crazy. It was unbelievable. I didn't expect that. Can you remember what it felt like driving into Maranello for the first time as a Ferrari driver? in Maranello I didn't drive until the end of the season in 2009 because I was not allowed to testing but when I came to Maranello the first time just after my I signed the contract with them and we gave the announce it was a unique atmosphere it was unbelievable I was thinking I made it I'm a Ferrari driver here there was the house of Ferrari and everything is red, people around you know the grandstands, it was just amazing.

24:54And did you do any laps of Fiorano before Monza? No, I did just like an up and down for the aerodynamics parts in Vairano which is two hours away from Modena. And even now, all these years later, do you get goosebumps when you imagine that first time the engine starting up, you're looking at the prancing horse on your steering wheel. Can you still remember the emotions? I still remember the emotion. The first time I went there and I was next to the car, I was preparing the seat and I was, you know, smiling. I was just dreaming. I understood. I said, I realized my dream, my dream to be here. Can you envisage a day when Kimi Antonelli races a red car?

25:52How big a story would that be? It would be another big story like my one, maybe bigger. But who knows? And Stefano Domenicali was your boss. and now he's he's kind of your boss again he's still my boss what was Stefano like as a boss was he a hard taskmaster he was good he was very nice the first time I met him I mean I met him a long time ago but when I went to Maranello it was two days after Spa where you just finished second when I finished second with Forzindia so I went to Maranello and we talked about the possibility to race for Ferrari in the next five races but there was a problem to find the solution with Vijay Malia which was my boss in Forza India he said I will fix it if you want to race for Ferrari we are happy to welcome you and I said it's my dream so I'm here for that so I'm looking forward for it.

27:06But also during the five races I made with them, it was nice. It was trying to help me. You know, the car was difficult to drive. The results were not so good. And I said, don't worry. We understand it's not easy to jump in a different car at the end of the season. And especially this car is not quick enough this year. They won just one race in Spa, unfortunately, when I become second. Cadillac has entered Formula One, deepening the racing pedigree behind every V-Series on the road. Discover a lineup that delivers pure adrenaline in the form of modern luxury. Experience the quickest Cadillac ever, the all-electric Lyric V, the peak performance of the CT5V Blackwing, the nimble agility of the Optic V, and the legendary roar of the Escalade V, all engineered to thrill.

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29:36I know you'd always wanted to race for Ferrari, but given the competitiveness of that Force India, was there any bit of you that was questioning whether it was the right thing to do? I think it was, I knew it was difficult to score points, to do well, but it was, you know, after nearly 14 years in Formula 1, I was 37 and it was the dream of my life to drive a Ferrari. So I think it was the right choice. And I think it's been the right choice, especially now, because since 2009, I'm still working with them. I'm still a Ferrari ambassador. I'm still racing in a GT endurance race. So I'm still in the family.

30:26And of course, Fernando Alonso comes in and takes the seat in 2010, doesn't he? Can we talk a little bit more about Fernando? because he's still here at 44 years age. I mean, first of all, are you surprised that Fernando is still here? I'm not surprised because, like Lewis, they are still in a very good shape. They have a lot of experience and they are still quick. Absolutely. Honestly, and obviously, Fernando is now maybe in the worst moment of his career because he's 44 and he's fighting for the last four places. That's not good for him. He needs to find some motivation, and the motivation comes just if you have a good car.

31:12So probably in a couple of races, they will get the spec B, let's say, and maybe Fernando can have more fun. I hope for him. And I heard maybe he wants to race even next year. would you like to see him do one more? Absolutely, absolutely. You can't end it like this Fernando Alonso, can you? Yeah, it's not nice to see him in the last two positions, the last row, he doesn't deserve it. So I hope for him to get a better car and try to get a chance to... I think I know what he needs. He needs a game of cards with Giancarlo Fisichella before the race on Sunday, right? Yes. Going to nip down to Aston Martin.

31:55Probably, yes. You compare Lewis and Fernando. They are such titans of this modern era, aren't they? In what they've achieved, their competitiveness. I'd like to ask you about Lewis now. I remember you having a great scrap with him at Spa in 2009, actually, when you were starting on pole. and how do you think drivers change and improve with age let's talk about lewis specifically you know how different is he today to that guy you were battling with at spa in 2009 driving the car not every day i mean every two weeks uh uh doing a lot of simulator but especially driving the car in a proper circuit.

32:41It's always better. You get the feeling, it gets always better. The experience to manage the race, the overtaking, it just becomes not easy, but it's better to do it instead of when you start your career in a Formula One. At the beginning, there is a lot of pressure. You are a little bit scared to make mistakes. Sometimes you're not quick enough, you're overdriving. So with experience, you learn to manage these mistakes. I mean, you've said that you are still racing. Okay, let's take the neck out of it, right? Because I appreciate the neck would struggle, but how quickly do you think you'd get up to speed today?