Kimi Antonelli has been the big name of the 2026 Formula 1 season after three rounds. And obviously Toto Wolff, who was even questioned when he promoted the young driver, praised the form shown.
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After arriving in the category in 2025 at just 18 years old, many questioned the Austrian executive’s decision. However, in this championship, the Italian has shown that the bet seems right, as he won in China and Japan and is the second youngest to win in Formula 1, behind only Max Verstappen.
Not only that, Antonelli is now the youngest championship leader in history, with Wolff proud of the bet made on the driver. “I think when we decided to give him the seat a year and a half ago, we expected this trajectory, with the ups and downs expected from an 18-year-old driver in his first year,” he reflected.
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“In the second year, success would finally materialize, and I think that is happening. Now, could we have predicted two wins in three races for Kimi? No. But in Japan, he was fast when it mattered, luck was on his side, and I think all of that contributed to him achieving this back-to-back victory,” he concluded.
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