F1 News
Wolff doesn't expect miracles from Antonelli's F1 debut: 'That's dangerous'
- Nicole Mulder
In the first half of the 2024 Formula 1 season, Toto Wolff made no secret of his desire to snatch Max Verstappen away from Red Bull Racing. Verstappen stayed at the Austrian team however, and Mercedes chose Andrea Kimi Antonelli to succeed Lewis Hamilton. Wolff is fully behind that choice and first wants to wait and see how his new line-up performs in 2025.
Wolff not expecting miracles from Antonelli's F1 debut
Antonelli is referred to by many as a 'child prodigy' in motorsport, but Wolff wants to be cautious about that term. For that, the 18-year-old Italian would first have to confirm his achievements from the junior classes in F1. However, the Mercedes team boss does hope that the young talent will soon show what he is capable of.
"We hope it happens sooner rather than later," the Austrian told Auto, Motor und Sport. However, he does not assume Antonelli will be able to compete at the front straight away. "If you expect him to be in pole position in Melbourne, win the race and compete for the championship right away, that's dangerous, because that won't happen. If we take into account that he is only 18 years old, very talented, but needs to grow and make mistakes first, the risk is less."
Looking ahead to the new regulations for 2026, several teams have decided to add a rookie to the line-up to be fully ready for that important season. This is also how Wolff feels about Antonelli: "We see 2025 as a transition year and want to prepare him for 2026, when everything starts from scratch for everyone."
Wolff on contact with Verstappen
Wolff did not hide his interest in Verstappen last year, nor did he rule out that a collaboration might be in the cards in the future. The Mercedes team boss confirmed that he always kept in touch with the Dutchman until Verstappen decided to stay at Red Bull. "Then I said we would go for Kimi, because that feels right for us. Now we will see where it all takes us," the Mercedes team boss concluded.
This article was written in collaboration with Norberto Mujica
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