Wolff Expresses Disappointment Over Antonelli's Underwhelming Italian GP Performance

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff described Andrea 'Kimi' Antonelli's Italian Grand Prix performance as "underwhelming," noting the rookie struggled to match teammate George Russell.

Why it matters

Antonelli, a highly-regarded Mercedes junior, is under intense scrutiny. His current struggles could impact Mercedes' future driver decisions and his long-term F1 trajectory.

The details

• Monza Race: Antonelli started P6, behind Russell, but fell to P10 after the start. He finished P9, earning two points, but incurred a five-second penalty and a super license point for a "potentially dangerous" incident with Alexander Albon.
• Recent Form: This adds to recent setbacks, including a lap 1 crash with Max Verstappen in Austria and multiple gravel incidents during practice at Zandvoort and Monza.
• Wolff's Verdict: Wolff's direct assessment: "Underwhelming this weekend. Underwhelming. You can't put the car in the gravel bed and expect to be there. All of the race was underwhelming."

Wolff's perspective

Despite the disappointment, Wolff reiterated his core belief in Antonelli's talent. "It doesn't change anything on my support and confidence in his future because I believe he's going to be very, very, very good. But today was... underwhelming." This shows frustration with immediate results, tempered by strong faith in his potential.

What's next

Wolff emphasizes "freeing him up" from the pressure and "ballast" of previous mistakes. He highlighted the need for "clean weekends," ensuring Antonelli doesn't carry "too much trauma" into new sessions. Mercedes aims to help him approach each race with a fresh mindset, allowing his natural talent to shine unburdened.