Toto Wolff’s decision to sign Kimi Antonelli to Mercedes was initially a very controversial one. The 53-year-old’s confidence in Antonelli’s abilities was not universal, with many questioning how the youngster would adapt to F1.
Since then, Antonelli has shown the kind of pace that allowed him to dominant virtually every feeder series he competed in.
The Italian is already keeping teammate George Russell honest – a noteworthy achievement for someone with such little experience.
Of course, the person Antonelli replaced – Lewis Hamilton – is experiencing a tough spell at Ferrari.
However, Toto Wolff insists that the 7-time Champion can still deliver at the highest level.
Wolff defends Hamilton as he adapts to Ferrari
It doesn’t take much analysis to explain why Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari became the most highly anticipated signing in F1 history.
Unfortunately for both parties, the hype surrounding this new partnership has only magnified the team’s weaknesses.
To some extent, Hamilton’s struggles with the SF-25 have raised concerns about his performance.
As is often the case with older drivers, any dip in form is almost always equated to a potential age-related decline.
Despite this, Ferrari’s underlying lack of pace – in addition to their team radio and strategy blunders – are generally receiving more scrutiny.
Toto Wolff maintains that Hamilton will not be a limiting factor at Maranello:
“I think we saw that magic in the Sprint race [in China],” Wolff said in Miami.
“He was completely dominating that race. It’s not like you have the magic in one race and then suddenly you lose the magic in the next one.
“I very much believe that it’s still there. If he aligns all his performance contributors and feels he is in the right space and the car is to his liking, he will be stellar.”
Wolff’s confidence in Hamilton is echoed by Ferrari team principal, Fred Vasseur, who dismisses those who question the 40-year-old’s calibre.
Instead, the Frenchman has urged his personnel to make the SF-25 more drivable.
Regardless of these obstacles, Wolff argues that comparisons between Hamilton and Leclerc often ignore context:
“I have no doubt. But I’m also not surprised it has those road bumps.
“He was with us 12 years – the way of operating. He’s been put in a Ferrari, where his team mate [Charles Leclerc] has been [for] a long time, and his team mate clearly is one of the very good ones.
“So from the outside, and speaking to him, it’s a trajectory any new driver needs to go through in a top team.”
Antonelli investment is paying off
For a team that were arguably a match for McLaren by the end of 2024, Ferrari’s poor performance is understandably a major story this year.
As Fred Vasseur’s team work to salvage the season, the narrative is much more positive at Mercedes.
The Silver Arrows are consistently the third-fastest team, with George Russell in particular often picking up the pieces to secure podium finishes.
As expected, the British driver is still a few steps ahead of Antonelli – especially over a race distance.
Antonelli still needs time to understand the most efficient way to nurture his tyres across a race distance, which will allow him to become more consistent.
Even with this limitation, however, his raw speed is undeniably present.
He is now a genuine threat to Russell over one lap, and is already showing flashes (i.e Japanese GP) of strong tyre management.
Having been the subject of criticism twelve months ago, Toto Wolff is now seeing the benefits of putting his trust in Antonelli.
Main photo: Mercedes Media Gallery – Richard Pardon
