Mercedes candidate
Antonelli? “What I would like to see from him …”
Toto Wolff is full of praise for Kimi Antonelli after the 17-year-old recently celebrated two race wins, but the Mercedes team boss has ideas and expectations that Antonelli should still fulfill for a cockpit in Formula 1.
Sprint victory in Silverstone, victory in the main race at the Hungaroring - things are going well for Kimi Antonelli in Formula 2. The Italian super talent is considered a contender to succeed Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025.
No wonder Toto Wolff is keeping a close eye on Antonelli's performance. "Kimi did a good job. It was a dominant victory, two different tire compounds, he was really strong and it was well deserved," said Wolff, praising his protégé in Hungary. "We never doubted his pace and it's really about learning. He had such a fast development, but you also have to learn tire handling and these things. That's why today was an announcement."
Antonelli recently raised eyebrows when he said that he himself did not know whether he was ready for Formula 1. "In a way, sometimes we all forget how stupid we were at 17. So I can tell you that my lack of maturity would have made it impossible for me to make clear decisions in such a competitive environment," said Wolff.
"What I would like to see from him ..."
It is clear that Antonelli still has a lot to learn in order to succeed in the premier class. "What I would like to see from him is that he makes mistakes, learns from them and continues to lead the team to improve performance for Prema, tire management, reading the race, the tires - and everything he did today," said Wolff.
According to the Viennese, the second half of the season will be exciting for Antonelli, because: "Now we are ready to see if he can concentrate at this level, but in Formula 2 it is always a bit difficult to judge." What is beyond question for Wolff, however: "What we see in the data from the test in the Formula 1 car is encouraging."
Antonelli will have his next chance to prove himself next weekend in Spa, Belgium. Toto Wolff will be watching very closely.
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