SHANGHAI : Toto Wolff has urged caution over rising expectations surrounding teenage driver Kimi Antonelli after the Italian claimed his maiden Formula One victory at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.
The 19-year-old Mercedes driver produced a commanding performance to secure his first grand prix win, immediately putting himself in the championship conversation. However, team principal Wolff warned against placing too much pressure on the young driver.
“You can kind of see the hype that is going to start now,” Wolff said. “Especially in Italy, I already see headlines like ‘World Champion Grand Kimi’, and that’s really not good because mistakes are going to come.”
Antonelli showed signs of inexperience late in the race when he locked up his front wheels and briefly went off track while still trying to push for faster lap times.
“I said to Bono, ‘come on, let’s tell him to calm down… we don’t want him to lose this race,’” Wolff added, referring to race engineer Peter Bonnington.
Wolff’s decision to promote Antonelli as the replacement for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton—who moved to Ferrari for the 2025 season—surprised many in the paddock given the availability of more experienced drivers.
The Mercedes boss said both Antonelli and teammate George Russell would have equal opportunities to compete for wins this season.
Wolff also dismissed concerns about a potential rivalry similar to the intense battle between Hamilton and Nico Rosberg during their time as Mercedes teammates between 2013 and 2016.
He praised Russell for stepping up as the team leader while highlighting Antonelli’s natural speed.
“You can never learn raw speed,” Wolff said. “But to become a great world champion you need maturity, humility, intelligence and many other qualities.”
