Despite a shaky debut season for his protégé Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has reiterated that choosing the 19-year-old was the right move. The Austrian emphasizes that the Italian’s performance is exactly as expected and is optimistic about the second year.
The pressure on Antonelli was enormous from the start, but Wolff didn’t let that deter him. “I never questioned this decision during the season,” explains the team boss clearly.
Mercedes was aware of the challenge of putting a rookie directly into a top car. “We have always said that we expect ups and downs, with great moments of brilliance and moments that make you want to tear your hair out,” Wolff continued.
Wolff attributes the Italian’s difficulties primarily to the circumstances of his entry. “He’s 19 years old and we’ve always said that the first season can be difficult,” says Wolff, adding graphically: “He was thrown straight into one of the big teams, didn’t know many of the Grands Prix and the pressure that was on him.” This development is exactly what was expected in terms of his learning curve.
The Mercedes boss expects a significant increase for the coming season, as Antonelli will no longer come to the tracks as a newcomer. “Next year will be completely different,” predicts Wolff.
Antonelli has now experienced the travel and stress of being a driver and will be “a year older and more mature”. For Wolff one thing is certain: “Everything is going according to plan.” We are currently still in a very early stage of development, but there is great hope that Antonelli will deliver consistently strong performances in the future.