The young talent from Bologna has left even his mentor astonished
The world at Kimi’s feet
Toto Wolff is enjoying Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s historic lead in the Formula 1 standings, following two consecutive victories between Shanghai and Suzuka. And while it is undeniable that on both occasions fortune played a partial role in the young Italian driver’s success—in China, George Russell was knocked out by a qualifying issue when he seemed on course for pole position, while in Japan the perfectly timed Safety Car undeniably helped Antonelli recover after a poor start from pole position—few would have confidently predicted such a solid and mature run of performances after just three races at the beginning of his second season at the top level.
Perhaps not even Wolff himself, who has long acted as a mentor and almost a father figure to the 19-year-old from Bologna, and who faced criticism from both media and fans when he chose in 2025 to replace the legendary Lewis Hamilton with such a young debutant. After the Suzuka race, the Mercedes team principal insisted that he does not even want to hear talk of a potential title challenge for Antonelli, especially considering the regulatory changes, ongoing technical developments, and the new system for checking compression ratios. There is also the factor of George Russell’s greater experience, which could eventually emerge in the internal battle within the Mercedes garage. However, at the same time, Wolff did not hide his own surprise at seeing his protégé leading the Formula 1 championship standings.
How Antonelli surprised even Wolff
“I think that when we decided to give him a seat,” explained Toto Wolff while speaking about Kimi Antonelli, “a year and a half ago, we all hoped that he could get onto this kind of winning trajectory, even taking into account the ups and downs that you naturally expect from an 18-year-old driver in his first season in Formula 1. We believed that it would really be in the second year that success would begin to materialise, and that is effectively what is happening now. But beyond that, if you ask me whether I ever predicted two wins in the first three races with Kimi, well the answer is no. In Japan, however, he was fast when he needed to be.”
“And of course, luck was on his side, but I also think that everything else, taken together, ultimately led to Antonelli’s second consecutive victory,” Toto Wolff concluded.
Toto Wolff’s candid admission regarding Kimi Antonelli’s early-season success therefore reflects a team that is pleasantly surprised by its own rapid resurgence. While the 2026 regulations continue to provide technical challenges for every constructor on the grid, the sheer raw pace and composure shown by Antonelli have placed Mercedes in a commanding position, setting the stage for what could be one of the most remarkable championship stories in the history of the sport.
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