Toto Wolff has reflected on Kimi Antonelli’s journey with Mercedes after the Italian claimed his maiden Formula 1 title at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Antonelli became the youngest World Champion in just his second season of F1 after finishing third in Sunday’s race, after a season which has included nine Grand Prix wins.
It signifies a remarkable turnaround from his debut campaign, where the Italian failed to score in 10 races as Mercedes faced calls to replace him, having promoted him after just three seasons in junior single-seaters.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after Antonelli’s title win at the age of just 20, Team Principal Wolff admitted “it was always a calculated risk, not a real risk” to promote the-then teenager into F1, and that the team always supported him even through the difficult moments.
“It’s incredible, we have to pinch ourselves because it seems like yesterday he was 11 years old in the garage in junior karting. And it goes so fast,” he said.
“He wins the junior formula, then a difficult year in F2 and that’s already where people started to doubt. Then when Lewis [Hamilton] told me ‘I’m going to Ferrari’, it was my immediate reaction that we’ve got to put him in the car. But people were doubters.
“I was thinking before, we had two sponsors leaving us because of that, because who is this kid? There were others who stayed with us until today, some are here that reap the full reward and then the difficult year.
“People said he shouldn’t even be in F1, he should be at a smaller team, 10 races and no points, the tears in Spa, and then this. I’m just so proud for the team, all of them continued to trust him and he delivered.”
As well as delivering on track, Wolff also praised Antonelli in how he handles things behind the scenes, whether it is speaking with sponsors and partners, or becoming integrated in the team.
The Austrian pointed out that Antonelli’s personality had won over many in the team.
“He obviously has a very winning way in the team. We’re dealing with very stiff, unemotional English people,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1.
“So then comes this Italian boy that starts to hug everyone in the garage and you can see how it changed the environment and now all the Brits are hugging each other, which is weird to see.
“He’s a kid. He’s 20 years old. You see him driving, the maturity, the interaction with the partners but then for his birthday he goes to the waterpark, and that is so great to see. I was like, ‘where’s Kimi I need to speak with him?’ Kimi’s at the waterpark with his friends. We love that.”
