The main Mercedes team is aware of the phenomenon that the young driver has become around the world and especially in Italy, which is why it has made the decision to protect him.
Since the start of the 2026 Formula 1 season, Andrea Kimi Antonelli has remained one of the protagonists of the championship, especially after achieving his third consecutive victory during the 2026 Miami GP.
Right now and before the next race in Montreal, Antonelli leads the drivers’ championship with a 20-point advantage over his teammate, the already experienced George Russell, so the pressure and expectations on the Italian are beginning to be an issue that Mercedes has put on the table.
Kimi “the phenomenon” Antonelli, a long-term project
Although Toto Wolff has praised the Italian’s performance in Miami, even declaring that the Miami GP is for him Antonelli’s best race so far, he has also noted that it is time for Mercedes to “put on the handbrake.”
Wolff recognizes the way in which Antonelli’s popularity has grown, especially in Italy, where they already see the 19-year-old driver as the one in charge of returning them to the pinnacle of world motorsport.
“The biggest problem is Italian public opinion. Now that they are not classified in football, everything revolves around Sinner (Italian tennis player) and Antonelli. And that is something we have to control,” explains Toto Wolff.
The main team of the silver arrows team assures that it is the job of everyone at Mercedes to ensure that Kimi keeps his feet on the ground, a task that is perfectly complemented by the values and education that he still receives at home.
Toto Wolff has been the first to recognize the great talent of the driver, and knows that to fully exploit his potential it is necessary to go little by little on the Italian’s learning curve, which is why he invites expectations to be maintained in their proper measure, since errors and setbacks are inevitable.
“He can win a lot of championships in ten or fifteen years, but we don’t want to stumble now just because the expectations are too high.”
For the Mercedes boss, this is a task that is just beginning, as there are still 18 races left this year: “I don’t think any of us would have expected this type of race (in Miami). We have given him a car that is very good and an engine that is correct, but how he has been able to monetize that every weekend is special,” concluded Wolff.
