The Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, has paid tribute to his driver Kimi Antonelli, who all but closed out his first Formula One world championship with a victory at the US Grand Prix that Wolff described as the Italian’s best race yet. After the win at the Circuit of the Americas Wolff was also at pains to point out the considerable efforts made by a host of others in bringing the young Italian to having one hand on a record-breaking title. After his victory in Austin, Antonelli needs to finish only ninth or better at the Mexican Grand Prix this weekend.
He could finish outside the points as long as he is also in front of his teammate George Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, the only two other drivers still mathematically in the running. If he seals it in Mexico City he will become F1’s youngest world champion at just 20 years old. His victory at the Circuit of the Americas from pole position with a controlled, dominant run largely at the front of the field, was his ninth of the season and has moved him to within touching distance of the title, and Wolff heralded it as Antonelli’s best drive.
I think he’s outperformed the car.” When asked if it matched Antonelli’s superb drive from 19th to victory at the Italian Grand Prix, Wolff acknowledged that that too was special but insisted he felt the win in Austin was up there with that drive and Antonelli concurred. Doubts he felt Antonelli had comprehensively silenced. People in other teams that said he shouldn’t even be in Formula One,” said Wolff.
But it wasn’t an easy road. His ability to process and deliver something that’s outstanding which we didn’t see coming.” Mercedes took Antonelli on as part of their driver development programme when the Italian was 12 years old and have supported him through karting and in the feeder series to F1 since then. Wolff was the driving force behind bringing Antonelli into the team to take Lewis Hamilton’s seat when the British driver left for Ferrari.
Wolff was insistent he felt the young Italian was ready to step up, however he maintained that Antonelli’s success should not be viewed as having come from nowhere but rather was the product of many years and the input of many people. It was our junior team around [Mercedes’ driver development advisor] Gwen [Lagrue] that discovered him when he was 11. I read an interview [with Ferrari vice chairman] Piero Ferrari last week where he said: ‘What a talent, he reminds me of Niki Lauda’.
And I’m thinking, people don’t get that this is the work of nine years. It’s just not that it landed like this.”
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