Toto Wolff sees Kimi Antonelli as a future F1 world champion

Kimi Antonelli, the child prodigy of Mercedes conquered Toto wolffSpotted by Mercedes at the age of eleven for his precocious talent, the Italian joined the team's junior program in 2018 before making his debut in Formula 1 in 2025. After twenty Grands Prix, the Mercedes boss thus confirms his initial intuition: Antonelli has everything to succeed the greatest.

For his first season, he certainly made a strong impression: fourth in his very first Grand Prix in Melbourne, on the podium at the Canadian Grand Prix, and pole sitter in the Sprint Cup in Miami, he is currently one of only two rookies this season – alongside Isack Hadjar – to have achieved a podium finish. In Japan, he also made history by becoming the youngest F1 driver to lead a race.

While some had questioned Mercedes' decision to promote a young driver so quickly after several blunders, Toto Wolff had never publicly criticized Kimi Antonelli's performances. However, an incident during the race at Zandvoort (Netherlands) and a lackluster weekend at Monza had earned the Bolognese driver a reprimand from Toto Wolff, who described his performance as " disappointing Since then, the Italian's results have improved significantly. His Austrian mentor was not then stating that "It worked to give him a kick in the backside."

2026 will be the year of the "real" Kimi Antonelli 

After a slump during the European tour, Kimi Antonelli indeed found his way back to scoring points in Italy and confirmed his return to form at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in a W16 that had been brought back into competition. In Mexico, the Italian even got the better of his teammate, finishing the race in a solid sixth place. A record that has not gone unnoticed by Toto Wolff. Kimi [Antonelli] has a long-term future, said the Austrian. I think it's very difficult to integrate into this generation of cars without having driven against everyone who knows ground-effect single-seaters. »

Since arriving in Formula 1, he has had to tame the Mercedes and adapt to a demanding environment. Next season, the new technical regulations will reshuffle the deck: each team will have to start almost from scratch, placing rookies and veterans in a more balanced position. Next year will be a new chapter. He now knows all the circuits, he understands the media pressure, and he knows how to work within the team, so we'll discover the real Kimi next season. "promises Wolff.

Ultimately, Toto Wolff didn't propel his protégé into Formula 1 by chance. By betting on a still very young Kimi Antonelli, the Mercedes boss made a deliberate gamble on raw talent. He has no doubt: Antonelli can " absolutely "To become world champion," he affirms. Now familiar with all the circuits on the calendar and better equipped against his rivals, the Bolognese will approach 2026 with all the cards in hand to reveal his true level.

ALSO READ > The crazy scenario that would put Piastri, Verstappen and Norris on equal footing before Abu Dhabi