Toto Wolff jokes with Kimi Antonelli: “Driver of the day? Thanks to your look. And Bono’s too”. Kimi Antonelli was unexpectedly chosen as the driver of the day after the Chinese GP.

Driver of the day, unexpectedly
Despite a relatively uneventful race, which started and ended in eighth place and benefited mainly from the double disqualification of both Ferraris, promoting him to sixth, Andrea Kimi Antonelli was surprisingly voted ‘Driver of the Day’ for the Chinese GP. This choice puzzled many observers and further reinforced the idea that the award, determined by fan voting, is often not truly meritocratic in relation to the race outcome.

Toto Wolff’s irony
Even Antonelli himself was surprised when he learned about the recognition while speaking over the radio with the Mercedes pit wall after the race. The young driver was informed of the award by team principal Toto Wolff, who jokingly commented on the reason behind it. “Kimi, you’re the Driver of the Day! I just saw it on the screen,” Toto Wolff announced over the radio. “Me?” replied a surprised Kimi Antonelli. “Yes, interesting, isn’t it?” “Yes, it’s strange.” “I think it’s because of your looks,” quipped the Silver Arrows boss, “and your fanbase.”

At this point, Kimi Antonelli’s race engineer, Peter Bonnington, playfully joined the conversation: “Toto is a real flatterer.” Toto Wolff then added, “And of course, also because of your race engineer’s looks,” clearly referring to Bono. The lighthearted exchange indirectly highlighted the positive atmosphere within Mercedes, suggesting satisfaction with Kimi Antonelli’s start to the season. Despite his limited experience, he has already scored points in every race so far, including both Grands Prix and the Chinese Sprint. This consistency seems to validate Wolff’s bold decision to immediately put the 18-year-old from Bologna in the car.