Overview
- Toto Wolff urged perspective on Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s age, saying he had to remind himself the driver is 19 and admitting he was “a bit of an idiot” at that age.
- Antonelli’s season featured early highs with P4 on debut in Australia, leading a grand prix and taking fastest lap in Japan, and a Sprint pole in Miami before a European slump.
- Wolff’s final evaluation cited learning from ups and downs and said the rookie “stood his ground” against Formula 1’s “cannibals,” reinforcing high expectations for the future.
- Late-season form brought podiums in São Paulo and Las Vegas, contributing to 150 points and seventh in the drivers’ standings as Mercedes finished second in the constructors’.
- Hywel Thomas praised Antonelli’s intelligence and maturity, describing a ‘game of three thirds’ season, with the team balancing blunt feedback and support as he faced pressure and an experienced teammate in George Russell.