Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff shared his thoughts on the weekend of young talent Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who once again showed flashes of great potential mixed with a few rookie errors during the Singapore Grand Prix.
After a difficult summer period marked by inconsistency across several European rounds—where high expectations surrounded him due to his familiarity with the tracks—Antonelli has managed to recover strongly. Starting from Baku, the Mercedes junior has displayed impressive speed and resilience, delivering performances more in line with the development plan that Wolff and his team outlined for him, ahead of 2026, the year when real expectations will be placed on his shoulders.
At Marina Bay, Antonelli’s potential was clear, even if expressed only in phases. Following an excellent Q1 and Q2, the young driver from Bologna pushed too hard in Q3, exceeding the car’s limits and finishing fourth. Considering both the car’s capabilities and Antonelli’s pace, he could have realistically fought for a spot alongside teammate George Russell, who went on to start from pole position and secure victory on Sunday.
During the race, however, Kimi Antonelli’s start proved costly. A suboptimal launch and an unfortunate line choice into the first corner caused him to lose two positions, setting the tone for a mixed weekend—strong in some areas, yet still marked by moments of inexperience. After the race, Antonelli himself acknowledged the mistakes he had made, showing maturity and self-awareness.
Toto Wolff, delighted by George Russell’s victory and Mercedes’ extended advantage over Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship, commented on Antonelli’s performance with his usual honesty and encouragement.
“Kimi is someone who always sees the glass half empty,” Wolff remarked. “What he’ll remember from this weekend is a Q3 that didn’t go according to plan—he could have been on the front row—and a start at Turn 1 that wasn’t ideal. But at least that’s his honest feedback after the race.”
Despite the imperfect start, Antonelli managed to produce a key highlight of his Sunday: a bold overtaking move on Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque was struggling with brake issues, yet overtaking him on such a demanding circuit was no small feat. Wolff pointed out that the data behind that maneuver was particularly impressive.
“For him, it feels more like a lost position at the front than a fifth place gained,” Wolff added. “Still, it was a solid performance. The overtake on Charles Leclerc was strong—it wasn’t captured on TV, but in the telemetry we saw massive braking pressure, almost to the point where the system started to oscillate. That was positive, and perhaps a little comforting after other parts of the race.”
Interestingly, Antonelli’s results between Baku and Singapore reveal a curious trend: he has scored an impressive 85 points in non-European races—on tracks he had never raced before—while collecting only 3 points across his European campaign.
This aligns with what Antonelli himself admitted earlier in the season: during the European rounds, he felt more pressure precisely because he knew the tracks well, whereas outside Europe he managed to approach the weekends more calmly and performed at a higher level. But that’s not the only factor. Mercedes’ technical changes also played a key role. The team’s decision to introduce a suspension setup that Antonelli initially struggled to adapt to contributed to his mid-season dip. However, since reverting to a configuration more suited to both him and the Mercedes W16, his performances have improved dramatically.
Overall, the Singapore weekend further confirmed what Toto Wolff has been emphasizing for months: Kimi Antonelli’s growth is steady, and even his self-criticism is a sign of maturity. His perfectionist approach, while sometimes harsh, could prove invaluable as Mercedes prepares him for a much bigger role in Formula 1’s next chapter.
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