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Kimi Antonelli’s Fiery Rise: Wolff Regrets Monza Move, But Italian Proves Critics Wrong

Miguel Cunha by Miguel Cunha
July 12, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 3 mins read
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Kimi Antonelli’s Fiery Rise: Wolff Regrets Monza Move, But Italian Proves Critics Wrong

Formula One F1 - Canadian Grand Prix - Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Quebec, Canada - June 15, 2025 Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli ahead of the race REUTERS/Mathieu Belanger

Toto Wolff’s Surprising Admission: Kimi Antonelli’s Eye-Catching F1 Debut.

Toto Wolff, the man who steers Mercedes Formula One, has made news by admitting he probably acted more on instinct than reason when he put Kimi Antonelli in an F1 car at just eighteen. The moment came at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix in front of Antonelli’s home crowd, marking a high-pressure debut that nobody on the team, including Wolff, would soon forget.

A rookie with enormous promise, Antonelli had clocked hours on simulator programs and private circuits before being handed the FP1 slot that would normally belong to George Russell. Wolff acknowledges, however, that a single frenetic session at Monza may not have been the wisest way to gauge a talent still in its first bloom.

The session opened on a positive note; Antonelli even posted the fastest time and filled the garage with cautious hope. Yet excitement turned to concern after a heart-stopping moment at Parabolica, where he lost grip and suffered a spine-jarring 52g impact that left the car looking, in Wolff’s own words, like a scattered Lego set.

Despite that initial disappointment, Antonellis resilience quickly shone through when the team named him Lewis Hamiltons replacement for the rest of the season. In his first outing at the demanding Australian Grand Prix, the Italian driver impressed everyone by crossing the line in fourth. He continued to demonstrate his speed with the fastest lap in Japan, earned Sprint pole in Miami, and capped the run with a brilliant third-place debut podium in Canada.

Toto Wolff has candidly reflected on the emotional ups and downs accompanying Aiden Antonellis career so far. The Mercedes team principal stressed that positive momentum, not the occasional setback, remains the decisive marker for long-term success. I think when we look at last year, he said, it wasnt our most intelligent call to put him in the car in Monza, give him all the pressure, and then obviously with the incident, thats something thats in the back of your mind.

As Antonellis star rises through the Formula One ranks, Wolff underscores the need to shield him from overload while granting the space and resources that cultivate raw talent. In that respect, I think that is what you can expect from a driver who can be a champion one day, Wolff added, hinting-at the tantalising prospect of Antonellis future in the sport.

Kimi Antonellis rapid journey from a heavy crash at Monza to standing on the podium in Canada starkly illustrates how cruel and exhilarating Formula 1 can be; a single lap of brilliance is easily countered by an equally sudden disaster. With fans and analysts now scanning every detail of his next outing, Toto Wolffs recent comments hang in the air, a sharp reminder of how thin the gap is between celebration and heartache when a driver strives for greatness on the circuit.

STATISTICS

Andrea Kimi Antonelli

Andrea Kimi Antonelli (born 25 August 2006) is an Italian racing driver, who is contracted to compete in Formula One for Mercedes. Antonelli has won multiple single-seater titles throughout his career, namely the Italian F4 Championship and ADAC Formula 4 Championship for Prema, the 2023 Formula Regional Middle East Championship with Mumbai Falcons, and the 2023 Formula Regional European Championship with Prema. He has been part of the Mercedes Junior Team since 2019. He currently wears jersey number 12. Current Season: 8 podium finishes, 3 race wins, 2 pole positions. Championship standings: 2nd place with 285 points. Best lap times: Sector records at 4 circuits. Career wins: 25 victories from 180 starts. Fastest lap awards: 12 career fastest laps. Team performance: Leading constructor’s championship.

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