Toto Wolff has defended Kimi Antonelli’s recent performance hiccups, urging fans to remember that the rookie is only 18 years old in his first season in Formula 1.
After a strong start to the season, Antonelli has appeared to be in a slump across the European stint on the calendar. With neither Mercedes driver confirmed for next year’s season, Wolff has voiced his support for both Antonelli and teammate George Russell going into the summer break.
Wolff says the team are confident in Antonelli’s abilities
Speaking in his mid-season review on Mercedes’ YouTube channel, Toto Wolff has made it clear that the team believe Antonelli is on track with progress and has shown strong performances and development since his first race in Australia.
Wolff said, “All of us have never doubted his performance. We knew there would be ups and downs, and that’s part of the development curve.
“We mustn’t forget he’s 18 years old, and he’s gonna learn a lot, he’s gonna make mistakes, and on other days, he’s gonna be brilliant.”
Antonelli finished the Hungarian Grand Prix in the points after another tough qualifying session that saw the rookie start in fifteenth place, whilst Russell secured a podium finish, finishing behind the McLaren drivers. It was Antonelli’s best result since his podium at the Canadian Grand Prix, finishing at the Hungaroring in tenth.
Kimi Antonelli has admitted to struggling in the European stretch of the calendar
The 18-year-old has been candid about his struggles with the car, and the team have returned to an older spec to try and aid his confidence, which Wolff says has already helped. Antonelli has achieved a Sprint pole position in Miami and a third-place finish in Canada, marking his maiden podium in F1.
However, as the sport transitioned to its European stint, the rookie has encountered issues with the car. Antonelli faced back-to-back DNFs in Austria and Britain, and poor qualifying results in Belgium, for both the Sprint Race and the Grand Prix left the Italian in a challenging position. It seems his form may be returning after impressive overtakes in Hungary brought him into the points.
🛠️| Speaking to reporters after the Hungarian GP, Toto Wolff admitted the Imola upgrades hadn’t worked:
“Well, that rear axle will be ending up in a bin somewhere, I guess.
“Upgrades are here to bring performance, and there’s a lot of simulations and analysis that goes into…
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) August 7, 2025
Wolff hinted in Hungary that both drivers would be returning with the team in 2026, also admitting to errors made in the development of the car. The W16 started the season relatively competitive compared to the McLaren and the Red Bull; however, upgrades in Imola saw progress halt.
The team boss has been vocal about hopes that Mercedes will return stronger after the summer break, that they are now working in the right direction, so will we see the Silver Arrows turn it around?
