Kimi Antonelli; Toto Wolff gloats and takes a jab at Ferrari

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff took a jab at Ferrari regarding Andrea Kimi Antonelli in an interview with RTBF. Years ago, the then-very-young driver from Bologna was offered to the Maranello team, which decided not to sign him; Mercedes immediately took advantage of the situation, bringing him into its Academy. Years later, the decision by the three-pointed star team has proven to be spot-on: Antonelli is at the top of the overall standings and is setting several records for early success in Formula 1.

“We’ve always believed in him,” said Wolff. “But you can never be sure that everything will go perfectly: last year he competed in nine races without scoring any points, and we were criticized for betting on an inexperienced driver—people said we’d made a mistake. We didn’t expect him to be this strong this season, but we’d already seen his talent in the past.”.

Many Ferrari fans want him in red, but Wolff speaks plainly and takes a jab at Maranello: “We’re aware that Ferrari wants an Italian driver, but Kimi has been a Mercedes driver since he was eleven. Ferrari should have signed him six or seven years ago, instead of only now realizing they have a good Italian driver. Of course, they’ll do everything they can to get an Italian driver.”

Now Wolff is primarily focused on how to ease the pressure on Kimi: “The Italian media have put a lot of pressure on him, comparing him to Ayrton Senna as early as the second race. I’ve asked them to calm down a bit because we have a 19-year-old who’s won a few races, not three world championships like Senna. But Italy is proud to have a young driver. It’s been a long time since they’ve had such a competitive driver. We have to protect Kimi, and that’s what we’re doing, while continuing to help him grow.”