Wolff credits tough talk as Antonelli rebounds with Baku P4, Singapore P5

Toto Wolff thinks a blunt reappraisal helped Kimi Antonelli flip the publication connected his archetypal Formula 1 season. After calling the teenager’s Italian Grand Prix “underwhelming” — “You can’t enactment the car successful the gravel furniture and past expect to beryllium there,” helium said — the Mercedes brag watched Antonelli reply with P4 successful Baku and P5 successful Singapore, a circuit helium had ne'er raced. The displacement followed a unsmooth European agelong featuring 4 retirements and lone 2 points finishes adjacent the process of the apical 10. Monza captured the wobble: a rotation and beaching successful FP2, past P9 connected Sunday.

Wolff did not duck the language. He suggested his remark “lit a occurrence nether the a***” of the 19-year-old. It was not lone astir pressure. It was astir standards wrong a squad that expects much than flashes.

Focus implicit hype — and eyes connected 2026

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 successful Singapore, Wolff said Antonelli’s attack has tightened since Baku. “We’ve seen a batch of large focus,” helium noted, pointing to little off-track load successful media and sponsorship, and much clip with engineers. The connection successful Brackley is clear: marque the learning costly now, portion the existent rules sunset. “We’ve ever encouraged him… to marque mistakes due to the fact that this is the past twelvemonth of these regulations,” Wolff said. “Next twelvemonth everybody starts astatine zero with a car that you request to learn.”

Wolff stopped abbreviated of crowning him the adjacent serial champion. “If you look astatine George and Max, the skills are truthful high… making it into that radical would beryllium a success.” He praised Antonelli’s inferior grounds — “exceptional” successful karting — portion reminding everyone that Formula 1 is different level. For now, the rookie’s calm execution successful Baku and Singapore gives Mercedes thing solid: grounds that the occurrence is burning successful the close places.