With his victory at the US Grand Prix in Miami last weekend, Kimi Antonelli announced his ambitions for the Formula 1 world title. Toto Wolff warns against the hype surrounding the young Italian and high expectations.
“He deserves every recognition he gets, but at the same time we have to exercise moderation,” said the Mercedes team boss in an interview with “Gazzetta dello Sport”.
Antonelli needs “space to grow and write his story without too much pressure.” Meticulous work and consistency are the recipe for success in Formula 1, which we must continue to follow.
Antonelli recently celebrated his third race victory in a row in Miami. The 19-year-old currently leads the drivers’ championship with a 20-point lead over his teammate George Russell.
The euphoria is gaining momentum, especially in his home country of Italy. The motorsport nation has been waiting for a Formula 1 world champion since 1953.
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“That’s exactly what scares me,” said Wolff about the expectations. It is quite likely that Antonelli will experience difficult moments as the season progresses.
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“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,” said the team boss.
Wolff had already expressed the suspicion that Antonelli was being pushed into the role of national hero too early. In view of the ongoing failure of the national soccer team, there is currently a vacancy in Italy.
The Squadra Azzurra recently missed the World Cup finals for the third time in a row. Together with tennis star Jannik Sinner, Antonelli has long been the nation’s new pride.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that a Mercedes driver will be at the top of Formula 1 at the end of the year. After the change in regulations, the Silver Arrows dominated at will, only in the sprint race in Miami was Lando Norris able to break Mercedes’ winning streak last Saturday.
