Toto Wolff Gives Brutally Honest Take on Kimi Antonelli’s ‘Transformative’ Weekend Despite Qualifying in Budapest

Mercedes CEO and team principal Toto Wolff has delivered a candid assessment of his rookie’s performance during the Hungarian Grand Prix last weekend. He labelled it as a ‘transformative’ experience for Kimi Antonelli despite his qualifying struggles.

The 18-year-old driver, who is in his debut F1 season, started the race in 15th position. However, he managed to finish in 10th place and claim a point. While Antonelli faced challenges, Wolff emphasised the importance of this weekend as a learning opportunity.

Toto Wolff focuses on the positives for Kimi Antonelli after a challenging weekend

Kimi Antonelli, widely regarded as one of the most promising talents in motorsport, has had a turbulent debut season in Formula 1. So far, his performances have been a tale of two halves: record-breaking brilliance juxtaposed with the harsh realities of F1’s steep learning curve.

The Hungarian Grand Prix was no different. Antonelli had a difficult qualifying session in Budapest. However, he showed significant progress during the race. Wolff highlighted the importance of this weekend as a learning experience:

“The car is generally giving him more feedback, and he said that the weekend was transformative from the first [practice] session,” Wolff told the media.

The Mercedes boss went on to say: “Qualifying went wrong, but that happens to a young driver, and [in the race] we were hanging him out there for tyre survival, which is another part of the development he needs to go through.”

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Despite a difficult rookie season, Antonelli has shown flashes of talent and potential. This season, he has become the youngest driver to lead a Grand Prix and the youngest driver to set a fastest lap, which were both achieved at the Japanese Grand Prix.

In addition to this, he is only the third driver ever to score three consecutive top-six finishes from debut. He joins legends Jackie Stewart, who set the record in 1965, and Lewis Hamilton, matching it in 2007.

His career-best finish of P3 in Canada remains the standout performance and proves his ability to thrive under pressure, earning praise from other drivers like Hamilton. Yet, the season has also been marked by four DNFs and frustrating reliability issues.

Mercedes Believe in His Future

Wolff remains confident in Antonelli’s potential and patient with his progress. His occasional mistakes underline his inexperience. However, the team is focusing on steady improvement rather than immediate results.

At the Hungaroring, the young Italian defended well against Isack Hadjar to secure a crucial point, earning Wolff’s approval: “He got a point, defended against Hadjar behind, and I am satisfied with that. Hopefully, he is going to get stronger in the second half of the year, but he’s on target.”

🚨| Kimi antonelli on his first F1 podium at the Canadian GP:

“I mean, it was so stressful! But super happy. I had a good start, managed to jump into P3 and managed to stay there. In the last stint I pushed a bit too hard, killed the front left so I was happy to bring the podium… pic.twitter.com/QwZKwDiH8s

— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) June 15, 2025

With Mercedes still evaluating its future driver lineups, Antonelli’s ability to learn from tough weekends like Budapest will be crucial. Currently 12th in the championship with 28 points, Antonelli’s raw talent is undeniable, but consistency remains his biggest hurdle.

While it was a challenge, his adaptability this weekend suggests a bright future. If he can minimise mistakes and build on his progress, the second half of 2025 could solidify his place as F1’s next big star.