“That’s exactly what scares me”
Mercedes boss Wolff worried about Formula 1 high-flyers
May 9, 2026 – 12:16 p.mReading time: 1 min.
Kimi Antonelli leads the Formula 1 World Championship – and carries the hopes of an entire nation. Why Mercedes boss Wolff sees exactly this as a problem.
Mercedes Motorsport Director Toto Wolff has warned against excessive expectations of Kimi Antonelli. The 19-year-old Italian leads the Formula 1 World Championship after three victories in a row – and is considered a future national hero in his homeland.
In the “Gazzetta dello Sport” Wolff said: “He deserves every recognition he gets, but at the same time we have to be moderate.” Formula 1 is based on consistency. Antonelli needs “space to grow and write his story without too much pressure.”
Italy has been waiting for a world champion in Formula 1 since 1953. The public expectations of Antonelli worry Wolff. “That’s exactly what scares me.” After the strong start to the season, there could also be more difficult phases. Wolff: “I don’t want the public to say: ‘Oh, what happened? Were we wrong about him?'” Antonelli must be treated “like a diamond in the rough” – by “the media, the fans and the team.”
Wolff recently described the Italian public as the “big problem” regarding the Formula 1 whiz kid. Since the national soccer team did not qualify for the World Cup, the focus is now primarily on Antonelli and tennis star Jannik Sinner.
