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Kimi Antonelli: A blessing but also the biggest task to date for Toto Wolff
Many refer to being Max Verstappen's teammate as the hardest job in Formula One. However, one driver has to deal with an even bigger task: replacing Lewis Hamilton, who won six drivers' titles with Mercedes and spent more than a decade with the team. Not only an enormous task awaits this youngster, but an even bigger one awaits Toto Wolff. So far, the Austrian has managed to hit all the right notes.
If a person ends up talking to anyone about Formula One, even if they do not watch the competition, they will know about two drivers: Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Now an 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli has to take the burden of replacing one of them. The Italian prodigy has shown his qualities on multiple occasions, for example at Silverstone in the rain in F2 last season. Even if some do not believe his track record speaks for itself, he has been working with Mercedes since he was 12, therefore, the Germans know what he is capable of perfectly.
The right moment to give Antonelli the chance
Antonelli comes across as a shy, down-to-earth teenager, who is happy to have the opportunity, but understands that he is supposed to be the next big thing Mercedes is betting on. Many will directly compare Antonelli to Hamilton, as he will be sitting in the car Hamilton left behind. However, Toto Wolff could have just spotted the right moment to actually give him the opportunity, but a rookie will always be a risk a team principal has to deal with.
First, the most important is the principle of underpromising but overdelivering. The team principal has to defend his youngster against the judgment of the public, as after every hairy moment, he will be questioned. However, he knows that perfectly as well. Already, Wolff could jokingly play off the Italian's crash at Monza. The best way to respond was to confirm the driver almost immediately, showing faith. It is hard to know when they wanted to make it official over the weekend, but as quick as they did after the FP1 incident could comfort the youngster.
Afterwards, when Wolff talked to Auto, Motor und Sport, he remained clear: Antonelli has to make mistakes to learn from them, and he also 'warned shareholders' not to get carried away from what they see in testing for him.
Right now, while it is hard to know what the order will be in 2025, Mercedes is the fourth team. It will give Antonelli a chance to achieve positive results on some weekends that play more towards the Mercedes' car strength, but also, they are not favourites for the title. Therefore, he is given a head start in not having to fight hard for points in the midfield.
Moreover, George Russell could be a perfect teammate for Antonelli. Russell is a strong 'opponent', but not someone who cannot be defeated if Antonelli is the prodigy he is supposed to be. Russell will be tough but fair, so the Italian can learn about the mental side of the competition from a determined teammate. Also, Russell cannot allow an inch to Antonelli, as if Mercedes would like to recruit Verstappen one day, they only have two seats, and a defeat could mean he cannot stay in the team for any time longer. But still, Antonelli is not in a similar situation as the Red Bull youngsters in recent years, who one by one got outperformed by Verstappen and were then replaced.
Having the chance to promote Antonelli might just be a blessing for Wolff, but the team principal also needs to steadily take care of him so he can reach his full potential. Every moment, whether he achieves a good or a poor result, Wolff has to convince everyone not to judge Antonelli. If he succeeds, he can have one of the best drivers for another decade. A lot depends on the Italian, but also on his team principal in order to achieve that. For now, Wolff took the risk and has to deal with it with a hands-on approach.
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