Kimi Antonelli in Singapore - Photo: Race Pictures

Antonelli admits Wolff’s harsh verdict 'fuelled' Azerbaijan drive

11:09, 03 Oct

byOlly Darcy

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli stated that Toto Wolff's comments after the Italian Grand Prix were "used as fuel to do better" at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

"I kind of expected it, because I was the first one not to be happy with my performances, and I knew it was going to happen."

- Kimi Antonelli on Toto Wolff's Monza comments

The European leg of the 2025 season had been a challenging one for the teenager, scoring just three points across the last six Grands Prix before the race at the Baku City Circuit.

After his P9 finish in Monza, Wolff had some strong words for Antonelli as his tough stretch continued, calling the Italians performance "underwhelming" at his home race.

Antonelli then turned his form around thanks to a much more positive weekend in Baku, finishing P4 to help Mercedes move up to P2 in the constructors' championship, allowing Wolff to be much happier post-race.

Kimi Antonelli finished P4 in Baku to turn around his form - Photo: Race Pictures

"He was much happier. Definitely was much happier compared to Monza," Antonelli explained.

"It was the best thing. It was the best way to bounce back after everything that happened in Monza, after the statement and everything.

"Many people ask me about Monza, about this statement, what they thought about it, and I kind of expected it, because I was the first one not to be happy with my performances, and I knew it was going to happen. I felt it."

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Thanks to that P4 finish in Baku, Antonelli moved back up to P7 in the drivers' standings, sitting on 78 points as he looks to continue his form after a positive race weekend.

"Obviously, you don't want these things to happen," continued the 19-year-old. "But it kind of helped me as well, that statement, because I kind of used it as fuel to do even better. That also helped me.

"I had a big meeting with the team afterwards, and that helped me to reset and to refocus on the basics, on driving well and doing everything right. So I think it was a good thing that happened."

George Russell and Kimi Antonelli helped push Mercedes back up to P2 in the constructors' championship - Photo: Race Pictures

Constructors' battle hotting up

Thanks to Antonelli's P4 in Baku, along with teammate George Russell finishing second despite battling illness all weekend, Mercedes made the move back up to P2 in the constructors' standings coming into the Singapore Grand Prix.

They replaced Ferrari in that spot after their disappointing weekend in Azerbaijan, with four points separating the two teams, with Mercedes and Ferrari sitting on 290 and 286 points, respectively.

Along with that, Red Bull in P4 just sits 12 points away from Mercedes, and thanks to Max Verstappen's return to form, the Austrian team have thrown their hat into the ring after looking well off the pace.

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