Mercedes team principal: “Antonelli will become a champion only by making a mistake. Next year I would like a struggle for the title between us and the Red”
The pressure is its comfort area. That’s where he lives, Toto Wolff. In a world where challenges never end and be the Mercedes team principal always represents the perfect theater for those looking for difficulties to overcome. And after 15 world successes in F.1, the competition is still the same as the first day. In everything he does.
Max Verstappen has announced that it will remain in Red Bull. Does this mean that soon we will also have the announcement of the renewal of George Russell?
“Yes. I have always said I was happy with my team, with Russell and Kimi Antonelli, but suddenly Max’s future became uncertain and so we also spoke to him. But I have always been very clear with George: 90% would remain with us but I needed to talk to Verstappen. Now the situation is clarified and everything can return to normal”.
Russell is playing a great season. Do you think that, without Hamilton, did you take on a leader role?
“Already last year it was understood how much it had matured but obviously it was always in the shade of a champion like Hamilton. When Lewis left he took on a leading role in a very natural way, showing performances that go even beyond the possibilities of the car”.
On the other side of the box there is your newcomer, Kimi Antonelli. How do you judge your season so far?
“Kimi is a great talent: he is fast, he is intelligent, but he is very young. I said it right away: he will make mistakes, we know and we would not have taken it if we had not been aware of it. Unfortunately we have a poor car and this makes its adaptation more difficult. But also going through these difficulties is part of the process to become a champion”.
How do you protect a young man from the risks of this environment?
“I think it is a training experience for all of us. We have never had such a young boy in the team and in general the F.1 has never had an eighteen year old in a top team. We are trying to work all together, even with his family, to create an environment that can allow Kimi to give his best on the track”.
Antonelli said he had Hamilton’s support. Did he surprise you with this proximity between the two?
“No, I think the champions recognize the other champions. And then Lewis remains very important for us, it has been a pillar of our team and will always be part of the Mercedes family, even if now I guide for Ferrari. My friendship with Lewis has remained unchanged. We often talk and I think it understands well the challenges that Kimi has to face”.
Speaking of Hamilton: in Budapest he said he was “useless” for Ferrari. How do you comment on these difficulties?
“Ferrari is the stable with the greatest heritage in the world and for Lewis to drive it is a great honor for them but also a challenge. He puts his heart in everything he does and is very sincere: when he crosses difficult moments he assumes responsibility for it. It is a characteristic of the greats: if they know that he has not been up to height, they do not blame the team but they look inside. Pass this moment will return with the motivation of all time”.
What do you think of the renewal of Team Principal Fred Vasseur?
“Any other choice would have been really stupid. I have known Fred since we had just over twenty years old and I know how much it is worth as a man of Motorsport, I know his entrepreneurial vision and his strength. Having a person like this in his team is a fortune and you have to remember how long it takes, in F.1, to create a successful project”.
How challenging is it for you to find the right motivation to continue leading the team?
“I look at myself in the mirror and I wonder: am I contributing to the success of the team? If I did not do it, I would be the first to choose someone to replace me. I could become a managing director or president, and sit on a sofa asking for reflect on performance. It would be easier, but I love the difficulties. I had a difficult childhood and adolescence and the pressure is my comfort area. If there is no pressure, I am bored. Wins: the rest for me comes after “.
Next year there will be an important change of regulation. What idea did it do?
“From the Mercedes point of view I am very happy that this period of land effect cars is finishing. The new regulation is challenging because it will require choices on where to use the energy available during the lap. It will be discussed and criticized, like any new regulation in F.1, but over time it will be accepted”.
Everyone speaks of the Mercedes Power-Unit as of the favorite for 2026. But how much do you know about the level of your rivals?
“They are gossip, we don’t know anything. I expect Ferrari to be very competitive and Honda has shown how strong it is, I expect so much with them with Aston Martin. Then there is Red Bull with the new engines, there is Audi … Everyone wants to get ready and competitive, and we will see who will have worked better”.
If he could choose who to fight next year, who would like against you?
“The answer is simple: Ferrari. See Ferrari against Mercedes would be beautiful. A classic. And then Lewis and Charles against Kimi and George, an incredible challenge. An Italian pilot against an Italian car: do you imagine it? I have no doubt that this duel will be there, next year or in the future. We will live it, and it will be fantastic”.
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