Toto Wolff’s private letter to Mercedes following Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s 2026 Formula 1 world championship victory has been made public, revealing an emotional tribute to the people who helped the young Italian reach the pinnacle of motorsport. The Mercedes team principal credited everyone from Antonelli’s parents and early mentors to George Russell, James Allison, his wife Susie Wolff and hundreds of employees at Brackley and Brixworth, insisting that the historic achievement belonged to the entire organisation rather than to him alone.
Originally intended as an internal message to Mercedes staff, the lengthy email, entitled Our success, was shared on LinkedIn by Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord. It offers a revealing insight into Wolff’s leadership philosophy and the extraordinary journey that began when he first met Antonelli at just 11 years old, long before the Italian became a Formula 1 world champion.
Toto Wolff’s leadership behind Kimi Antonelli’s historic F1 championship
Toto Wolff is an exceptional figure in Formula 1. There is little point searching for different adjectives or attempting a more cautious assessment. He is a manager who has built one of the most successful teams in the sport’s history, but also a racer in the truest sense of the word: ambitious, passionate and demanding to the point of obsession, particularly when it comes to himself.
He is someone who can be furious about his own mistakes before becoming angry about those of others, and he has never made much effort to conceal his emotions. His fists slamming against the table, the headphones destroyed in frustration and that desperate “No Michael, no!” directed at Michael Masi during the controversial conclusion to the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix remain unforgettable moments.
At the opposite extreme is the image of Wolff jumping and dancing to the Italian song Sarà perché ti amo while celebrating Kimi Antonelli’s historic Formula 1 world championship triumph. From uncontrollable anger to almost childlike happiness, there are remarkably few emotions in between.
Yet focusing solely on his temperament, however spectacular it may be, would be reductive. Behind that explosive personality stands a man who has made people management one of his greatest strengths.
Wolff understands the value of communication, the importance of trust and belonging, the need to accept responsibility during difficult moments and the significance of recognising other people’s contributions when success arrives. He can be an exacting boss, sometimes exceptionally tough, but he is also a motivator capable of making every member of his team feel part of something greater. And when he has every reason to place himself at the centre of attention, he chooses to do precisely the opposite.
Why Toto Wolff’s decision to replace Lewis Hamilton proved so significant
Antonelli’s world championship is also an extraordinary personal victory for Wolff. He was the man who believed in the youngster he first met at the age of 11, backed his talent and entrusted him with a Mercedes Formula 1 seat at just 18, taking responsibility for replacing a legend such as Lewis Hamilton.
It was a courageous decision, one that attracted criticism and was even ridiculed during the most difficult moments of Antonelli’s debut season. Today, Wolff would have every opportunity to answer his critics, and knowing his personality, he will surely find the occasion to do so.
For now, however, he has chosen a different approach. The Mercedes boss wrote a lengthy internal email entitled Our success, addressed to every member of the Mercedes organisation.
The letter begins with the proverb, “Success has many fathers, failure is an orphan,” before offering an extensive acknowledgement of those who helped develop Antonelli into a world champion. From his parents and first coaches to the engineers and company executives, Wolff also recognises the contributions of George Russell, James Allison and his wife Susie.
This is where Wolff the manager emerges: someone who understands that a victory can become even more meaningful when everyone feels a sense of ownership. Recognition, particularly when it comes from the person in charge, can be as valuable as any reward.
The letter also contains deeply personal passages, admissions about the challenges encountered and memories of those who supported a decision many considered a gamble. Its publication by Bradley Lord has offered an unusual glimpse into the internal culture of a team celebrating the success of its youngest world champion.
After watching Wolff jump and sing with happiness, it is now possible to read the words he chose to give that celebration a deeper meaning. Perhaps the secret to his approach to leadership is revealed more clearly in this email than in all those moments when he has slammed his fist against the table.
It is a lesson in leadership from which those at Maranello could learn a great deal.
Our success — Toto Wolff’s complete letter to Mercedes
“Success has many fathers. Failure is an orphan.
So the saying goes. But as I reflect on Kimi becoming world champion, I feel that I have received far too much credit for a story that belongs to so many people.
I first met Kimi when he was just 11 years old. To see that young boy become a Formula 1 world champion is something truly special. But the journey that has taken him from those early karting days to where he stands today has been shaped by an extraordinary number of people, many of whom will never receive the recognition they deserve.
It all begins with his parents, Marco and Veronica.
Marco did not simply introduce Kimi to the world of racing. He taught him how to drive, how to understand a racing car and how to develop the skills that have made him the driver he is today. And Veronica was there at every single karting race, right from the beginning, providing the love, stability and support that a young boy needs when growing up in such a demanding environment.
As a father involved in the world of karting myself, I know how difficult it is to find the right balance between encouragement and firmness. Marco still faces that challenge today, day after day, and when it comes to understanding when to push Kimi and when to give him space, we are instinctively on the same wavelength.
But what they have given Kimi goes far beyond racing.
His humility, integrity and loyalty, combined with extraordinary ambition and determination, are qualities that come from his family. We may have helped him develop those values further along the way, but the foundations were laid by those closest to him. He could not have wished for a better start in life.
Then there are the people who recognised and nurtured his talent in his early years.
Dino Chiesa, who played such an important role in Kimi’s development in karting. Gwen Lagrue, who was the first person to tell me about a young driver called Kimi. Stephane Guerin, who was by Kimi’s side throughout his years in the junior formulae. And, of course, Sergi, who has always been close to him and has been a fundamental pillar of his growth and development, going far beyond simple physical preparation.
As Kimi progressed through karting and the junior categories, other people contributed to shaping the driver he would become.
And within Mercedes, there is an entire organisation that deserves enormous recognition.
The engineers who introduced him to the technical complexity of a Formula 1 car, its particular characteristics in terms of vehicle dynamics and aerodynamics, and how a driver-in-the-loop simulator works, helping him adapt to the demands of Formula 1 and develop the ability to provide the technical feedback and consistency required at that level.
Then there is the race engineering group led by Bono and Shov, who built on those foundations and helped Kimi make the transition into Formula 1 racing, working with him on car set-up, tyre management, race execution and understanding how to extract the maximum from himself and the car.
Bono deserves a special mention. Extremely ambitious and demanding, but always the calm voice during briefings and on the other end of the radio when things become difficult in the car. Someone who knows when to push, when to challenge and when a young driver simply needs reassurance. That combination of high expectations and genuine care has been invaluable for Kimi, particularly during the difficult moments.
I want to focus particularly on James Allison.
James has always been rather sceptical when it comes to drivers. As an engineer, he naturally believes that the car is the most important part of the equation, and he is not easily swept up in the excitement surrounding a Formula 1 driver. But when I proposed the idea of putting Kimi in the car, he supported me. He trusted my judgement, backed the decision and made sure that the technical organisation provided Kimi with everything he needed to succeed.
That meant an enormous amount to me. Because the most valuable support does not necessarily come from people who agree with you about everything, but from those who challenge your thinking and then stand firmly beside you once a decision has been made.
Our marketing and communications team, under the leadership of my deputy team principal Bradley, with head of communications Clare, who ensures that the different demands of marketing, communications and engineering are always balanced while putting performance first, and particularly Rosa, who has used all the experience she gained working with Lewis to help Kimi understand the responsibilities that come with being a Mercedes Formula 1 driver. Not simply how to deal with the media, but how to manage attention, expectations and pressure while remaining himself.
And, of course, the hundreds of people at Brackley and Brixworth whose work gives our drivers the opportunity to succeed. The people who design, build and develop the car and engine, who continue working even on the difficult days and who never stop striving to make us better.
I also want to recognise the contribution of the many other people who had the courage to support a decision that was far from obvious.
Replacing Lewis Hamilton, the most successful driver in Formula 1 history and arguably its most culturally significant figure, with a teenager was never going to be an easy decision.
There was an enormous amount of criticism, both from within our sport and from outside it, about the decision to put an 18-year-old in a Mercedes. And when Kimi went through a difficult period, with several races without scoring points, those doubts understandably became even more persistent.
But we had never expected his first year in Formula 1 to be free of difficulties. Quite the opposite. We knew there would be challenging weekends, mistakes and moments when people would question our judgement. All of that was part of the journey we had decided to undertake.
You cannot ask a young driver to learn and then punish him for his mistakes. What mattered was never Kimi’s position after a single difficult race, but where he could be in the years that followed.
And one of the reasons we were able to take that leap was George.
This has not been George’s year. He and the car have not always got along particularly well, and I know how frustrating that has been for him. But we could only take the risk of putting Kimi in the car because we knew we already had a champion and a number one driver in George. Someone with the speed, experience and leadership needed to lead the team, and the strength of character to welcome a young team-mate with enormous potential. That gave us the confidence we needed to make a courageous decision.
That trust extended beyond the Formula 1 team. Our Mercedes Grand Prix Board of Directors trusted our judgement and supported the decision from the beginning. And Ola Källenius, my partner for so many years, deserves a special mention. During the difficult periods, when the results were not what we wanted, he never lost faith in our organisation or the people leading it. And when I spoke to him about the possibility of putting Kimi in the car, he did not hesitate for a moment.
The same applies to our partners and sponsors. I spoke with many of them very early on about what we wanted to do. They understood that this was not simply about replacing one driver with another. It was about beginning a new chapter, taking a calculated risk and building something together.
Many of them embraced that vision with genuine enthusiasm. They chose to believe in the journey before they even knew where it would lead us. And that meant a great deal to us, particularly at a time when not everyone was willing to follow us.
And on a personal level, I want to thank my wife Susie.
She knows better than anyone what this job demands and understands motorsport and the pressures that come with it. When I was considering the decision to put Kimi in the car, she encouraged me to trust my instincts and have the courage to pursue what I believed was right. Having someone beside you who understands both the professional consequences and the personal weight of decisions like these makes an enormous difference.
And finally, there is Kimi himself.
Because no matter how much support, opportunity and advice you can offer a young driver, nobody can drive the car for him.
Nobody can give him the determination to keep going after a difficult weekend, the courage to get back into the car after making a mistake or the resilience needed to deal with the extraordinary pressure that comes with driving for Mercedes.
Those qualities have to come from within.
Kimi has made mistakes. We all have. But he has never stopped learning, never stopped listening and never stopped believing in what he could achieve. And throughout this entire journey, he has remained the same fundamentally decent young boy I met so many years ago.
So when people tell me that I deserve recognition for discovering Kimi or for making him a world champion, I know how many other people have contributed far more than they will ever be recognised for.
Yes, I believed in him. And yes, at a certain point I had to make a decision and stand by it.
But believing in someone is much easier when so many good people have already given you every reason to do so.
This is not the story of my success. It is ours.
And I could not be prouder of everyone who has been part of it.”
More news about Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes
- Toto Wolff praises Kimi Antonelli and criticises selfish F1 drivers after world title victory
- Kimi Antonelli’s father reveals when he realised his son could become F1 world champion
- Kimi Antonelli reflects on emotional F1 championship triumph and looks ahead
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