"It's something else"

Toto Wolff regrets fielding Antonelli in Monza

Toto Wolff (r.) realizes that Kimi Antonelli's commitment in Monza was too early.(Bild: GEPA pictures, APA/ERWIN SCHERIAU)

Toto Wolff has to admit to himself and his team that it was probably not the best idea to field Andrea Kimi Antonelli for the first time in a Formula 1 practice session at Monza of all places. "It's different when you're an Italian driver, 18 years old and have your first opportunity in Monza," the Mercedes team boss acknowledges.

Background: Antonelli started in Monza as a test driver for the Silver Arrows in the first practice session. Although the youngster was able to impress with the first fastest time, his adventure ended shortly afterwards after a spin in the Parabolica into the barrier. A Formula 1 start to forget for the 18-year-old, who was presented as a regular driver for 2025 just a few days later.

"I wouldn't say it was a mistake, but I think we didn't quite correctly assess the stresses he could be exposed to," Wolff now analyzed to "Motorsport.com".

"Probably would have been smarter"
Antonelli had performed brilliantly in the test and had not made any mistakes over thousands of kilometers, "but it's different when you are an Italian driver, 18 years old and have your first opportunity at Monza. If we had considered that as a risk factor against the data we had from him, it would probably have been wiser to give him a practice session that was in a completely different time zone to Italy."

Antonelli's first outing in the W15 ended in the gravel.(Bild: AFP/APA/Gabriel BOUYS)

Despite Antonelli's ambition, you could see that he simply lacked experience. "FP1 is just FP1, of course he was too fast for the condition of the track and for the car at that time." However, Wolff does not regret the decision to bring the 18-year-old to Mercedes now. "No, it's not a risk. It would be a risk if you didn't believe in his abilities," said the 52-year-old Viennese.