Toto Wolff reflects on Antonelli's strong debut performance, sees bright future
Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff believes that Kimi Antonelli's fourth-place finish on his Formula 1 debut at the Australian Grand Prix demonstrates the potential the young driver possesses.
Antonelli, who has taken over the seat left vacant by seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, arrived in Formula 1 with considerable attention. Despite a tough qualifying session where he dropped out in Q1 due to floor damage, the 18-year-old Italian impressed during the race.
In challenging conditions, Antonelli climbed from 16th on the grid to finishing fourth, navigating the track better than fellow rookies Isack Hadjar, Jack Doohan, and Gabriel Bortoleto. Reflecting on his decision to bring Antonelli into the team, Wolff said, “I think we always knew his potential since he was a kid. He performs under pressure.”
Wolff further explained, “In Qualifying that wasn’t his doing, he just hit the bump at the wrong place. He would have qualified much further ahead. In the Grand Prix, we saw that he was able to reel in everybody slowly but surely without making any mistakes. He had a little spin, but otherwise P4 is the result that he merits.”
Antonelli initially faced a five-second penalty for an unsafe release, dropping him to fifth place. However, Mercedes successfully appealed the penalty, reinstating his fourth-place finish.
Wolff acknowledged that this performance is just the beginning for Antonelli and the team, stating, “If you look at the real pace today, the pace result would be P4, P5. We need to get better if we want to fight on merit for race victories and world championships. There is definitely something we need to find.”
As the season continues, Mercedes remains focused on improving their performance to challenge McLaren and Red Bull, who currently hold the advantage.
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