At just 18, Antonelli is proving Toto Wolff right, Mercedes’ daring decision is already making waves across the Formula 1 paddock.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is feeling vindicated after placing his trust directly in Andrea Kimi Antonelli, giving the 18-year-old a full-time F1 seat without a stopover at a junior team like Williams. And with Antonelli securing Sprint pole in Miami, that bold decision is already starting to pay off.
“Plenty of people, even inside the sport, thought he should have a year to develop somewhere else,” Wolff told ServusTV. “But for us, the decision was clear.”
“We wanted to give him that development year within our own team. That way, he’d be fully ready for next season when the new regulations come in, and he’d already know all the tracks. We were ready to take that risk, knowing mistakes might happen.”
Now, Wolff says, the team is seeing the rewards of that gamble.
“We always said there’d be mistakes. But Kimi has kept progressing, and so far, he hasn’t made the big ones, though they’ll come eventually. Still, the mileage he’s already covered is starting to show, and that’s what’s allowing him to compete at this level.”
Wolff also reflected on Antonelli’s journey, recalling the moment he first saw the young Italian in a Mercedes garage back in 2019, just 12 years old at the time.
“A few years ago, he was standing beside me in the garage, wide-eyed, soaking it all in. It feels like yesterday. And now, look at his pace. He doesn’t even know these tracks fully yet, that’s the next big step. Sure, it’s just a Sprint pole, but moments like these matter.”
Still, Wolff knows there’s more work ahead.
“I told everyone celebrating in the garage, ‘Alright, that’s enough, it’s a Sprint pole. Great job, but now let’s focus on tomorrow.’ We need to bring that same performance into qualifying and Sunday’s race.”
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Antonelli Shocks F1 World as Wolff’s Bold Bet Pays Off Antonelli Shocks F1 World as Wolff’s Bold Bet Pays Off
