The Team Principal Mercedes takes stock of the former pilot, now in Ferrari: “It is not enough to change the team to unlearn to drive”. And on Kimi: “We would not have entrusted the seat to those who do not consider a potential champion”
Toto Wolff can smile: Mercedes is carving out a leading role in the F1 2025 world championship. It is not only George Russell, winner in Canada, to shine: the growth of Andrea Kimi Antonelli is increasingly evident. A bet won for the Team Principal, who had focused on the Italian to replace Lewis Hamilton, who went to Ferrari. Wolff spoke of these two pilots, Antonelli and Hamilton, at the Podcast Hot Pursuit in Bloomberg. For both, according to Toto, a lot of patience will be needed before seeing great results, even if the respective expectations seem to have different durations.
Antonelli
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Kimi’s adaptation to F1 is remarkable considering several factors, as explained by the Team Principal Mercedes: “Managing the tires has become really difficult. It is not enough to be fast on the dry or in the race. It is important to exploit the tires without slipping and without overheating them. Look Oscar Plastri: it served a year and a half to get to the level of Lando Norris and in 2025, I think it is in front. All from the tire management “. Wolff continues: “A three -year program will probably serve in Antonelli. This is the time that a young driver needs to challenge a more experienced and faster teammate. But we would never have entrusted the seat to a pilot that we do not consider a potential world champion”.
Patience for Lewis
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In addition, Toto also warns the Ferrari fans: never doubt Hamilton. The explanation is simple: “It is not enough to change the team to unlearn to drive. We all need a period of adaptation. Lewis drives a different machine and works with a new team of engineers, without forgetting that it is an entirely Italian team. All this takes time”. In addition, Wolff looks confidently at the second half of the World Cup: “Usually, at the beginning of the season, Lewis must find his rhythm, while in the second part he has always done very well. So I would not exclude him from the protagonists”. Words of esteem, also deriving from a friendship: “We promised to continue to be friends. We challenge each other on the track, but, outside the circuits, we spend time together. I don’t want to waste a friendship that has lasted so many years”. After all, twelve seasons are not easily forgotten.
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