Mercedes-Youngster Kimi Antonelli started the season convincingly. But at the latest after his premiere podium at the Formula 1 race in Canada, it is a problem with the Italian. He only scored three points in six races. Accordingly, the rookie also acted criticized by the benevolent team boss Toto Wolff.
“You can’t put the car in the gravel bed and expect to be at the forefront,” Toto Wolff became clear after the 16th run of the Formula 1 season in Monza. After a turn in free training, Kimi Antonelli only landed in the race in ninth place.
The drop in shape in the rookie is dramatic. Since his podium in Montreal in mid -June, the two points in the royal park have been the best that Antonelli has been able to do in the last six Grand Prix ‘.
Formula 1: Wolff believes in Antonelli’s potential
Accordingly, his team boss Wolff gives up the previous backing. “Disappointing this weekend. Disappointing,” he becomes clear.
Does Antonelli even have to worry about the whereabouts in the factory team of the silver arrows? Wolff still seems to believe in the 19-year-old’s great potential: “I believe that he will be very, very, very good. He is a great driver.”
Does the Italian make too much pressure after his podium and the good start of the season? An assumption that, according to Wolff, is quite correct: “He has this incredible ability and natural talent. There is everything there, but we have to get rid of the ballast.”
Antonelli himself admitted that he had been “very nervous” in his home race.
In the World Cup ranking, Antonelli is now even behind Alex Albon, whose Williams is significantly weaker than the Mercedes from Antonelli. An increase in performance is therefore urgently needed, because too long the young talent should not rely on the fact that most critical pairs of eyes have so far rested on the Red Bull internal duel.