Wolff outlines when Antonelli may reach his peak in F1

Antonelli came into Formula 1 amid a lot of hype due to his stellar junior career, winning the Italian F4 and FRECA titles. He then replaced Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for 2025 after a single season in F2.

The Italian driver scored three podium finishes across his debut year but struggled throughout much of the races in Europe.

Antonelli showed moments of speed, such as his drive to second place in Mexico. However, he didn't score a point in six out of seven races, either side of a third-place finish in Canada.

Mercedes' rookie is just 19, and Wolff feels that Antonelli may only reach his highest level in five years' time.

He told the Beyond the Grid podcast: “When do we expect him to peak? Three, five years from now. “And that's the time we need to give him.”

Wolff added that he feels Antonelli is taking steps in the right direction after the Italian's rookie year.

Antonelli is heading into 2026 after a mixed season for Mercedes and will be hoping to coninue his good trajectory.

The Italian feels Mercedes' engine project ahead of the 2026 regulations overhaul is encouraging.

F1's new power unit with a 50-50 split of internal combustion and hybrid may be a key factor next year.