yHe arrives between one commentary stint and the next, greeting colleagues and old friends. And, despite everything, he never tires of talking about what has been both the passion and profession of a lifetime. That is how Guido Schittone presents himself: a sports journalist and commentator who, since the 1970s, has experienced motorsport’s biggest events from the inside, from F1 to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, getting to know some of the most successful and legendary drivers in history, as well as those who will be tomorrow’s talents. An opportunity made possible by his work with ACI Sport, through which he experiences the ACI Racing Weekend from within, rounding out an almost unrivalled background that allows him to speak authoritatively, credibly and never predictably about motorsport in all its forms. Just as he did in the exclusive interview he gave to this writer, commenting on the current Formula 1 season and discussing the great drivers of today, such as Kimi Antonelli, and those of tomorrow.
Guido has had a long career, following F1 in print and on television, and now divides his time between GT racing and the junior categories. Can you tell us about the moments from this journey that you hold most dear?
"Well, it has been a long career. I think I experienced the best period between the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was the best period for me, but also for motorsport, which was still accessible. There was a relationship between us journalists, the drivers, teams and mechanics. F1 races were more exciting, and many more people had the chance to get involved in motorsport. I started in the 1970s and I have seen it all: it was different, great fun, enjoyable but also hard work. Unfortunately, it is no longer like that today..."
A closed world for fans too?
"I think it is a self-referential world, especially F1. Now it is also difficult to understand technologically what the cars are capable of. Former drivers who are now instructors tell me they practically have to be engineers: even they struggle to understand everything. When you create too much almost artificial technology, such as electric technology, you lose spontaneity".
You now spend time in the world of the ACI Racing Weekends, which is far freer and simpler than F1. What can you tell us about it?
"I have tremendous fun, even though I work more than before. At the ACI Racing Weekends we have the foundation of motorsport, the real thing that has always been found in these categories. There are also many opportunities to build a career, perhaps in GT racing, given that in Formula racing it becomes difficult, once you reach Formula 2, to aspire to Formula 1. As we often see, those who win in Formula 2 cannot manage to make their F1 debut".
Given your involvement in this world, with so many young drivers, may I ask who you believe could be one of the best talents of the future, tomorrow’s champion?
"No one this year. Over the past two years I have not seen any clear-cut talents. In previous years we had drivers such as Antonelli and Bearman. I would say only those two, because there are good drivers, but talent is something different".
You experienced F1’s golden years. What do you think of F1 in 2026? Does it preserve the show despite all the criticism, or do you think the sport’s DNA has been distorted?
"I do not think, as they say, that it has bitten off more than it can chew. It has taken a step that makes the races almost artificial, not so much because of genuine or artificial overtaking, because even with DRS the overtakes were not particularly genuine: there was no real late-braking pass. This year, drivers are called upon to manage situations more like an airliner pilot than a fighter pilot. They have had to change their mindset, which is why younger drivers adapt better: they are millennials, born with a different outlook. The older ones have naturally struggled more".
So you do not like it very much?
"Well, whether it is good or bad, Formula 1 is made up of cycles: there is always one team that dominates. When you have two at roughly the same level, you have fun. Ultimately, F1 history tells you that the most closely contested eras were those in which most teams had a single-engine supply, the Cosworth, and there was a team like Ferrari fighting them because the cars were more or less similar. Now, though, the arrival of car manufacturers has created enormous gaps between the top teams and the smaller ones. Mercedes have worked better than anyone this year and are reaping the rewards. But we still have the leaders and then everyone else. Overall, performance levels are very close: in my day, there could be as much as three seconds per lap between first and last. Today we are talking about tenths: the standard of performance is high, and the standard of the drivers is high".
Are today’s drivers stronger than the all-time greats, the legendary names of the 1980s and 1990s?
"I think the average level of driving is better than in my era, while the average level of talent is lower. In short, a higher average standard, but fewer peaks of pure talent. Today, you see talent in race management, not in a masterstroke. For example, you understand that Antonelli is the best talent among the newcomers not from the victory or pole position, but from how he gets to the victory. Take Japan: he starts from pole and is sixth after the first lap. An ordinary driver would have lost his head, done something silly, tried an impossible pass. He did not; he waited for the right moment. That means having your head screwed on, having tactical vision, something many do not have. Many are simply quick. Plenty are quick, but real drivers are those with tactical vision. That is why there are drivers who will never win the world championship".
Quick but not champions: a subtle difference...
"Exactly. When, for instance, I hear people criticising Stroll, I say be careful, because he won Formula 4, a European Formula 3 championship, has scored podiums in Formula 1 and, to date, is a tenth behind Alonso. That does not seem so bad to me, so be careful with the criticism, because the standard is high. At the moment, there is no one I see as pure talent in the long term. Also because, in my view, they drive too much, making it difficult to evaluate a driver, and there are too many disparities between teams: if you are with a good team, you are at the front even if you are not that special...".
You can spot a true great immediately, don’t you think?
"I agree. You see a quick driver, a Max Verstappen who goes to the Nürburgring, changes cars, is quick and wins, immediately. But I think Verstappen is the best talent of the last 10 years, he is untouchable. I do not like him, but Verstappen is Verstappen".
Speaking of talents, I will be direct: do you see Kimi Antonelli as world champion?
"Antonelli is world champion material, I am sure of it. I do not know whether it will be this year, it will not be easy, but he is certainly someone who can win. Honestly, I do not see any other young drivers as strong as him".
What do you think he has that the others do not?
"His head. It is hugely important, as well as speed of course: you can have all the intelligence in the world, but if you do not have the ability to deliver performance... He has also shown resilience, because last year he was criticised after being behind Russell at the start of the year. But that was natural, because when you arrive in F1 at 18, you have pressure from everyone. When he had two good results, he arrived at Imola with all the press around him, his friends, Toto Wolff in crisis with Mercedes because there were people trying to acquire shares. Kimi is Toto Wolff’s driver and he automatically went into crisis. In the second half of the season, he started going quickly and has now reached the top of the standings. Then we will have to see about the world championship. Russell has more experience. Kimi, on the other hand, from knowing him, is not only quick but also makes himself popular with the team and the mechanics. He is quite a handful for Russell to deal with".
If you had to give him one piece of advice, what would you say?
"Stay away from the press. I agree with Toto Wolff: unfortunately, we have the bad habit of building people up and tearing them down very easily. Either you are a phenomenon or an idiot. It is not like that. You need a balanced measure, to know that a driver, like other athletes, can have highs but also a crisis. But that does not mean he has become a nag...".
Yet it happens to everyone, not just Antonelli, in every field.
"Correct. I think those who criticised Hamilton last year are fans I call idiots, not even pub regulars. They have no respect for someone who has made F1 history. You can criticise him, you may not like him, but if you criticise Lewis, you are criticising the history of motor racing: Prost, Senna, Piquet, Alonso. That is not right".
Speaking of Ferrari, do you think the Scuderia’s 2026 is positive, or are they once again missing something needed to win?
"They are working and have improved compared to last year. Let us wait for this ADUO to see whether they can recover. But there is a constant in racing. Whoever is two or three tenths ahead clearly has the means to develop and has new developments in hand. So it is difficult for those behind to catch up. They reach your level when you are already two or three tenths ahead again. Therefore, I think Ferrari will remain at this level throughout the season".
Do you think Antonelli’s success in F1, which attracts attention, and Ferrari winning in the WEC are benefiting Italian motorsport? There seems to be great passion for all forms of motor racing.
"It is positive for the movement. For example, a category such as endurance, which nobody in Italy paid attention to, has now become a category that brings lots of people and spectators to the circuit. It is very positive, as is Antonelli’s success. I hope Antonelli can be F1’s Sinner, F1’s Valentino Rossi. They are the leading figures who encourage people to take an interest in other things and other categories too. If you have someone who pulls people in, they go to the circuit to watch motorsport, even what is considered lesser motorsport, but it is not lesser. Quite the opposite. It is tomorrow’s motorsport, not lesser. It is the motorsport of tomorrow or of professionals, such as those in GT racing, first-rate professionals".
