Why it matters:
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has publicly defended Kimi Antonelli after a challenging Dutch Grand Prix, reaffirming the team's unwavering belief in the 19-year-old's F1 potential despite recent incidents. Antonelli is set to replace Lewis Hamilton in 2025.
The big picture:
Antonelli's rookie F1 season has been a "rollercoaster" as anticipated by Mercedes. His weekend at Zandvoort was particularly turbulent, culminating in a collision with Charles Leclerc and subsequent penalties.
The details:
- Antonelli crashed in FP1, setting him back for the weekend.
- He qualified 11th, narrowly missing Q3.
- During the race, he made impressive overtakes, moving up to sixth.
- However, a late attempt to pass Leclerc resulted in a collision, leading to a 10-second penalty.
- An additional 5-second penalty for pit lane speeding dropped him from sixth to 16th.
- He has scored only one point in the last five races.
Wolff's perspective:
- "We absolutely expected" the "ups and downs" of his rookie season.
- Mercedes signed Antonelli at 12 and views this year as a crucial learning period.
- "We want him to go for the moves," Wolff stated, despite the accident with Leclerc.
- He emphasized that this season is about learning, not fighting for the constructors' championship, making next year's points more critical.
- "It just needs to be unpeeled like an artichoke where at the end there is the gold. It's there and we have no doubt."
What's next:
Antonelli apologized to Leclerc and now heads to his home Italian Grand Prix at Monza, aiming to reset his season.
