Toto Wolff downplays Antonelli-Senna comparisons: "He continues to improve"

The parallel is tempting, and the numbers lend it some legitimacy. Kimi Antonelli and Ayrton Senna both won their first Grand Prix in the second race of their second season, after securing their first pole position. At 19, the Italian became the youngest driver in the history of the Formula 1 to lead the championship — breaking a record previously held by Lewis Hamilton at almost three years old, who led the championship after the 2007 Spanish Grand Prix at the age of 22. He is also the first Italian driver to win two consecutive races since Alberto Ascari in 1953.

In Italy, the fervor surrounding him grows every weekend, and discussions about a possible world title — which would make him the first Italian champion since Ascari, and the youngest ever — are rife. Hag in 2010 (23 years old) — are progressing well. Toto wolffHe, however, watches all this with undisguised concern. The team manager Mercedes Benz does not question the quality of Antonelli's performances, but insists on the need not to raise expectations too high. “Of course, in Italy, everyone wants to talk about the world championship, and the comparisons with Senna keep resurfacing, which I don’t really enjoy reading. He’s a 19-year-old who’s very much in the spotlight in Italy, and it’s more about reducing expectations and pressure than increasing them.” he said during a media session during the forced break between Japan and Miami.

Wolff points out that the young driver's first season was marked by great moments but also by difficult periods, and that the current trajectory, although encouraging, is part of a long-term development process: "We are now in his second year, and he continues to progress within the team as we had hoped and planned, without our expectations reaching unreasonable levels."

Well-deserved victories, but not without favorable circumstances.

Toto Wolff is careful to contextualize Kimi Antonelli's two victories in China and Japan. While his driver's talent is not in question, the Austrian team principal acknowledges that certain external factors played in his favor: “We’ve seen some really great races so far this season, with fewer mistakes. There have also been a few situations where he’s benefited from certain results, strategies, or the safety car intervention, but it can go both ways. It can work for you or against you.” All this to the detriment of George Russell, winner in Australia but who is now nine points behind his teammate.

Regarding ambitions for the season, Wolff is explicit: he is not expecting miracles over the course of the year. “We were hoping to find an exceptional driver, but given his age and relative lack of experience, we knew it would take him at least a season to find his feet. That's what's happening now, but we're not expecting a miracle over the whole season.” A message of wisdom addressed as much to the Italian media as to the entourage of his driver.

Toto Wolff nevertheless points out that Antonelli is handling this pressure with remarkable maturity: "He's doing very well. He benefits from an excellent personal environment. Within the team, sometimes we support him. Other times, we put more pressure on him, but overall, everything is going as planned." The Italian driver will return to the track at the Miami Grand Prix, from May 1st to 3rd, where he undoubtedly hopes to secure his third consecutive victory, having secured pole position in the sprint race during the previous season.

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