Kimi Antonelli wonders if he’s ready for the big time, and Toto Wolff has something to say about it. Here’s a snapshot of the buzz:
- Kimi Antonelli won a ‘statement’ victory in F2 at the Hungaroring.
- Despite his win, Antonelli is unsure about moving up to F1 next season.
- Toto Wolff applauds Antonelli’s performance but wants him to learn from his mistakes.
- Wolff prefers waiting till the end of the year before deciding on drivers for next season.
- Antonelli is one of the candidates to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.
Kimi Antonelli is creating waves in the racing world, and it’s not hard to see why. The young Italian secured a ‘statement’ victory in Formula 2 at the Hungaroring. However, despite his recent success, Antonelli remains unsure if he’s ready to make the leap to Formula 1. He candidly admitted, ‘I mean… I don’t know if I will be ready, to be honest. I’m still learning a lot in F2. Definitely, I still do quite a few mistakes.’
Meanwhile, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff had plenty of praise for Antonelli. Speaking after the Hungarian Grand Prix, Wolff emphasized that the teenager’s victory was well-earned, showcasing strong performance on two different tire compounds. The win wasn’t just impressive; it was what Wolff described as a ‘statement.’
However, Wolff believes that making mistakes is part of Antonelli’s developmental journey. He commented, ‘What I’d like to see from him is doing mistakes, learning from them, continuing to guide the team to improve the performance for PREMA, tyre management, and reading the race.’ Learning from these experiences will be crucial for Antonelli’s growth.
Wolff also shared his thoughts on how Antonelli’s performance fits into the bigger picture for Mercedes. He stated, ‘We need to concentrate on our car and our performance and make a decision on the drivers late in the year when all the dust settles, what is best for Mercedes.’ As it stands, Antonelli is among the candidates being considered to replace Lewis Hamilton next season.
Therefore, while Antonelli’s talent is undeniable, Wolff prefers to wait and assess all options towards the end of the season. He added, ‘I can’t look too much left [at] what’s happening in Red Bull or what’s happened; I want to concentrate on us today, and us means Kimi today in F2 and our two drivers in F1.’ It’s clear that the decision will be based on what’s best for the team looking forward.
Kimi Antonelli’s future in Formula 1 remains a topic of debate, but his journey continues to captivate the racing world.
Source: Planetf1
