Kimi Antonelli continues to impress Formula 1 at the start of the 2026 season, and Toto Wolff believes the Italian’s success proves the strength of Mercedes’ young driver program. The team principal stated that the work done by the team over the past few years was fundamental in preparing the young driver for his current moment in the category.
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The Mercedes driver has already accumulated important milestones at the start of this championship. Antonelli became the youngest pole position holder in Formula 1 history, the youngest championship leader, the second youngest winner in the category, and also won the three races where he started from pole position.
According to Wolff, Mercedes has always seen special potential in the Italian, since the junior categories. The team principal highlighted the trajectory built by the driver from Karting throughout his career, and stated that the development happened carefully within the German manufacturer’s program.
“The young driver program is quite diligent and, if you look at his trajectory from Karting to Formula 2, you can see the pace and speed,” Wolff told Sky Sports. “Then, everything depends on development, and we gave that to him last year so he could make mistakes.”
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Wolff explained that Mercedes worked to allow Antonelli to mature without blocking his learning process. For the executive, the Italian showed the ability to handle difficult moments without losing confidence, something he considers essential for a Formula 1 driver: “He had brilliant moments and also moments where he was allowed to make mistakes. We needed to keep guiding him while there was pressure, but he handles it very well. He can analyze the situation without overthinking,” he added.
Another aspect praised by the Mercedes chief was the way Antonelli quickly manages to leave mistakes behind. Wolff stated that the driver has strong personality traits and can emotionally separate negative moments to maintain focus on performance on the track.
Even with the impressive results at the start of 2026, the Mercedes chief urged caution about the growing pressure around the Italian: “This year he already knows the GPs, the work with the team, and understands the media pressure, but we need to stay calm, because such great success for a young driver at this stage will make all of Italy focus on him,” Wolff concluded.
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