Wolff explains his expectations of Antonelli and calms things down

Mercedes tried a daring bet. At the start of the 2024 season, the German team learned of the departure of the greatest driver in its history, Lewis Hamilton. The eight-time world champion decided to join Ferrari to try to offer himself a final challenge. For a long time, the question of his successor occupied the front pages of specialist newspapers. Finally, if Carlos Sainz was considered for a time, Mercedes decided to bet on one of its young talents, Kimi Antonelli.

Time for Antonelli

At only 18 years old, the Italian will arrive with a lot of pressure on his shoulders to accompany George Russell. If Antonelli wants to be ambitious, Toto Wolff, his director, preferred to calm things down in comments reported by Auto motor und Sport “If we expect him to be in pole position in Melbourne, win the race and immediately fight for the championship, then there are risks, because it won't happen. On the other hand, if we assume that this boy is 18 years old, that he is very talented, but that he must first flourish and that he will make mistakes, the risk is limited. » Mercedes has decided to bet on the long term and risks approaching this 2025 season as a learning campaign for Antonelli. A way to best prepare it for 2026 and the change in regulations. Having been in decline for several seasons, Mercedes is undoubtedly hoping to take advantage of this to return to the top.

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