© Jiri Krenek for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
After Mercedes announced that Andrea Kimi Antonelli will drive for the team in 2025, team boss Toto Wolff gives his thoughts on the young Italian.
The wait is over, young Italian driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli will drive for Mercedes in 2025.
After Mercedes made the official announcement, team boss Toto Wolff told journalists that the team knew early on that Kimi was worthy of a promotion to Formula 1.
“I’ve always tried with my team and with Mercedes to be bold and to look into the future and I think pretty early on, we liked the idea [of promoting Antonelli],” the Austrian said.
“We were convinced of his talent before – it was a question of maturity. Now we are prepared to take the risk on maturity in terms of the pressure of F1.
“But we see Kimi is in the long-term future of the team and that’s why, at a certain stage, you have to jump in the cold water.”
Toto added that it was still not that easy to pull the trigger on Kimi’s promotion, with other great drivers like Carlos Sainz floating around as an option.
“It was not easy because there were great pilots that we were looking at – and ones who deserved to be in Mercedes.
“Carlos is a good example and he would have been quick, he would have been a great contributor to championships – also next year.
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“But in a way, our junior driver programme is important to us and I think the long-term future is between Kimi and George, who have both been with us from the very early ages onwards.
“They have won all the junior categories you need to win, have achieved all the targets and objectives we have set them – and that’s why we have bet on the Mercedes programme and we feel comfortable with it.”
Toto explained Kimi was a special talent in the junior categories, just like Max Verstappen was at one point.
“When we first talked about him, there is this very special kids in go karting that through the categories, they are always there – they win.
“And he was one of them in the same way Max was in the past, or George or Lando or Lewis to name just a few. That is when he came on the radar.
“Also, he’s a great personality, which is no wonder because his family is great. His parents have the just the right mix of pressure and putting an arm around him.
“His father was professional driver, still is, he’s going quicker than me in a touring car. But they have super values.
“Put all that together – the fierceness in the car, the lion in the car and then outside someone who is nice and has good values – that is what convinced us.”
The Austrian believes the young Italian can cope with the pressures of being in Formula 1 so early in his career.
“We could see when he was a kid already that he coped well with pressure. There were examples of drivers who made such a big jump.
“Not only Kimi, but the other Kimi comes to my mind – Kimi Raikkonen. He went straight from Formula Renault to F1. He jumped everything in between and was successful.
“There is no doubt he has the talent, the ability, the skills – and now it’s about allowing him space to grow up within this crazy tough ruthless environment and we will protect him and allow him to grow.
“We expect difficult moments. People will doubt. We will see highlights also. Kimi will be the real deal in a while, maybe not yet.”
Ultimately, Toto thinks Kimi has the potential to be Italy’s next racing hero.
“Italy is a racing country. There is a starvation of young drivers who were given an opportunity in the top car. He has that opportunity.
“I think Italy will go bananas with the next superstar. I also told him this is the last week you’re living in anonymity.
“The moment this is out, it won’t be that easy to go out for pizza because people will recognise you,” Wolff concluded.
