Kimi Antonelli’s victory in Shanghai sparked huge euphoria in Italy, something Toto Wolff is cautious about. The Mercedes team principal, while openly expressing admiration for a talent he has long promoted, emphasizes the young driver’s age and the importance of not adding extra pressure. According to Wolff, it is far too early “even to think about the title,” as Antonelli is not yet on the same level as George Russell.
Toto Wolff’s concerns
The Mercedes team principal did not hide his excitement over Antonelli’s first win, but speaking to journalists in Shanghai, he preferred to temper the enthusiasm: “The key for a young driver is combining driving skill with avoiding mistakes, and that requires a certain calibration, as we saw with the highs and lows of last season. There will be other moments this year when he makes errors, because he is still a very young driver.”
Wolff’s main concern is the media pressure in Italy, which had been waiting twenty years for a win by an Italian driver: “You can see a huge euphoria spreading, especially in Italy. I can already imagine the headlines: ‘World Champion,’ ‘Great Kimi,’ things like that, and that isn’t helpful, because mistakes will come—he is just a kid. It’s far too early even to think about the championship.”
He continued: “The sport we live in is manic-depressive. Today everything goes great, but in two weeks, in Japan, maybe [Kimi] will hit the wall and people will turn against him. I think we need to keep our feet on the ground. Remember last year? It was all ‘Great Kimi,’ then Imola came and there was a wave of pressure, but right now there shouldn’t be any at all.”
Antonelli’s growth
Wolff believes that it will be natural for Antonelli to make more mistakes, though he has matured significantly over the past year: “From a personality standpoint, you can already see that he processes failure much better. When he went off track on Saturday morning in Australia, he didn’t carry all the emotional baggage into the briefing. He came in, acknowledged what he did was wrong, then set it aside and said: ‘Ok, let’s move on.’ After that, it was gone. Making a mistake, analyzing it, looking at the data, finding answers, and putting it all in a box is something I’ve seen in great athletes, and that’s what he is doing.”
Another of Antonelli’s qualities is his natural leadership, evident in the warm greetings he gives to all mechanics before getting into the car. “It comes naturally to him,” Wolff comments. “Similar to his talent in the car, he has always been able to energize the people around him. He’s affectionate, which is somewhat typically Italian, but he embodies it fully. He’s also very warm, knows how to involve people in his journey, and that’s why he has such great relationships across the team. The mechanics and staff in engineering, marketing, and communications all love him. In a way, we also need to protect him from this, because he struggles to say no and people take advantage. He has to learn, because there will be huge interest in him and many vultures trying to influence his career.”
Russell still ahead
Asked what he admires most about Antonelli as a driver, Wolff replied: “A driver can learn a lot. If you drive for many laps in any category, whether karts or formula cars, you reach a certain level. What you cannot learn, however, is pure speed—and you see that immediately in any category. You can win a Grand Prix without it and even fight for a world title if you have a good car and luck on your side. But to become a true champion, that is necessary, even if not sufficient. You also need maturity, personality, humility, intelligence, and empathy toward the team. There are about twenty things that matter for becoming a world champion, but talent is one you cannot learn.”
Kimi Antonelli himself acknowledges that he still needs to grow to reach Russell’s level, particularly in battery management and prioritizing reason over instinct. The team principal agrees: “For now, George is still slightly ahead. We haven’t really seen his qualifying lap, and in the race he wasn’t at his best. There was no head-to-head yet, and we need to keep that in mind. George has always respected Kimi, recognizing his skill and speed. The truly strong know how to recognize each other.”
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