Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admits the team has placed Andrea Kimi Antonelli under immense pressure in his debut Formula 1 season but firmly states the 19-year-old remains a long-term investment for the Silver Arrows.
Why it matters:
Mercedes is navigating a crucial period in its driver lineup, with the departure of Lewis Hamilton and the search for future talent. Antonelli represents a significant part of their long-term strategy, and how Mercedes manages his development will shape its future competitiveness.
The big picture:
Antonelli's rookie F1 season has been a mixed bag of promising performances and challenging incidents.
- He secured a maiden podium and a sprint race pole.
- However, he has scored just one point since his Montreal podium.
- Performance issues include unreliability and several incidents where he was "master of his own misfortune."
The details:
Wolff reflected on some of Antonelli's difficult moments this season:
- A qualifying shunt in Monaco.
- A collision with Max Verstappen at the start of the Austrian Grand Prix.
- A car-beaching incident in FP1 at the Dutch GP.
- Wolff also admitted that his high-profile FP1 debut at Monza last year, which ended in a crash, might have been a mistake, putting him "under maximum pressure."
- "He's in a Mercedes, he's very visible, his results are very visible, his team-mate [George Russell] is great... he feels himself under the magnifying glass."
What's next:
Mercedes remains committed to Antonelli, viewing him as a key part of their future.
- Wolff stated the team "will just continue to believe in him" and that "single race weekends or a session... is not going to change our opinion."
- Antonelli is expected to remain with the team in 2026.
- The team also faces the challenge of replacing Valtteri Bottas as a reserve driver, who has signed a Cadillac deal for 2026, with Wolff noting, "It's super difficult to replace Valtteri - he ticks all the boxes."