Wolff in awe of Antonelli’s mindset: 'When I was 19, I was a bit of an idiot'

10:56, 13 Dec

Updated: 11:41, 13 Dec

2 Comments

byTobia Elia

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff still sees huge potential in Kimi Antonelli.

“When I was 19, I was a bit of an idiot. I wouldn't have been able to cope with the pressures that he is”

- Toto Wolff

Appearing on the Beyond the Grid podcast, the Austrian not only praised the Italian’s impressive driving skills but also highlighted the remarkable maturity he showed throughout his rookie F1 season, barely out of his teenage years.

“When we speak with Kimi we are brutally honest when it's good and when it's bad but then you remind yourself that you're not sitting opposite an adult. Kimi is more a kid than an adult. You have to remind yourself that he's just 19. Yes, he's a pro in the car and he's been karting all his life and racing all his life. But from the maturity, we're expecting an acceleration of growth that is almost too difficult. He's been thrown into this.

"I think when you look at some of the worse races, it's just overwhelming, the experience that he's making with all of the interest, the media pressure. They're writing you up and down. You have an extremely quick and experienced teammate. And he's still coping. And I think that shows that he has great potential for the future.”

Photo: Race Pictures

Finally, Wolff concluded by saying that at his age he was “a bit of an idiot” and wouldn’t have been able to handle all the pressure and commitments that modern Formula 1 demands, as Antonelli is doing.

“When I was 19, I was a bit of an idiot. I wouldn't have been able to cope with the pressures that he is. And that's why when I talk to him, I'm a little bit harsh with him. I need to almost take myself back and say, hold on a minute. He's a kid. And that's quite an interesting learning for us also.”

Wolff hints at when Kimi Antonelli could win first F1 drivers' title

The young Italian driver enjoyed a generally solid rookie season, struggling in the early stages but showing much greater consistency towards the end of the year, ultimately finishing with two podiums to his name.

He also found himself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons after a mistake in Qatar proved decisive in Lando Norris securing the title, with Antonelli coming under heavy fire on social media following comments from Helmut Marko.

In the same interview, Wolff discussed the potential timeline that could one day see Antonelli crowned a World Champion.

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