As the Italian teenager crossed the line, Wolff said to Antonelli on the team radio: "'He’s too young. We shouldn’t put him in a Mercedes. Put him in a smaller team. He needs the experience. Look at the mistakes he makes.' Here we go, Kimi, victory."

For Steiner, this was proof of "a little bit of a complex" on Wolff's part, as the Italian-American claimed the Mercedes boss wanted it known that he "didn't do anything wrong" in backing Antonelli.

Speaking on the Red Flags Podcast, Steiner made his feelings known on Wolff's congratulatory team radio.

"Oh, it was total self-promotion," Steiner claimed.

"Make sure that everybody knows that I didn't do anything wrong. And Toto wouldn't need that. But I think he has got a little bit of a complex there. I mean, the guy won. You don't need to explain it now, Toto."

Steiner continued, suggesting that "everybody believes" in Antonelli's talents, and that Wolff's attempts to remind everyone of his support might slightly disrespect his young driver's efforts in China.

Meanwhile, Steiner has also offered his thoughts on Antonelli potentially fighting teammate George Russell for the 2026 world title.

The 19-year-old trails his more seasoned teammate by just four points in the Drivers' standings, but Steiner has questioned whether a title bid would be a season too soon for Antonelli.

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