Tost on Antonelli: Young charger needs wise ‘mental management’

Veteran F1 team boss Franz Tost knows a few things about mentoring young talent at the highest level of the sport, which makes him well placed to offer his expert view on young Mercedes sensation Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

For 16 years, Tost held the reins of Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri, Red Bull’s second F1 team, where he oversaw the formative years in F1 of n entire generation of Grand Prix drivers, including four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, three-time world champion Max Verstappen and race winners Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz.

Tost was present in the paddock last month at Monza when Mercedes confirmed Antonelli’s promotion to the big time in 2025 as Lewis Hamilton’s successor at the Brackley squad.

The Austrian, a former driver in his own right who won his country’s Formula Ford Championship back in 1983, is therefore the ideal expert to consult on what lies ahead for the highly rated 18-year-old rookie.

“The speed is there – you can see it,” Tost told F1.com.

“It’s always a little bit difficult for a young driver to come into a works team, especially to a team like Mercedes, because there you are really focused [on], but I’m sure that Toto [Wolff, Mercedes boss] and his team will prepare him in the best possible way for the next season.”

• Read also: Russell expects to really be kept ‘on my toes’ by Antonelli

Tost’s experience is a testament to the rigors that Antonelli will face as he transitions from the junior categories to the pinnacle of motorsport.

While there will be other rookies on the grid next year, such as Ollie Bearman from Haas and Jack Doohan from Alpine, Antonelli stands out as the youngest, mirroring the ages at which both Vettel and Verstappen made their debuts.

“From the driving [side], I think it’s absolutely no problem for him. He’s fast, he’s highly skilled and he will show a good performance,” added Tost who emphasized that the Italian’s biggest challenge may not be on the track, but rather in navigating the myriad responsibilities off it.

“The question is from the mental side,” he elaborated. “Because as a young driver in F1 you have to work together with so many different parties—the technical side, the chassis engineer, the engine engineer, the aero engineer, all the data engineers, and that means there are a lot of questions coming up.

“But you also have to do the marketing work, you have to do the press work, so it’s a lot for a young driver,” Tost warned.

“The teams always must be careful with young drivers not to overload them, so that on Sunday, when the red lights go out, they are not tired.”

With Antonelli currently sitting sixth in the F2 standings and having claimed two race wins this season, his ascent to F1 seems well-earned.

However, Tost’s wisdom suggests that success in the sport involves much more than raw talent behind the wheel.

When asked what advice he would offer Antonelli as he prepares for this new chapter, Tost offered a straightforward message: “Just to look forward to being an F1 driver, be focused, and do the job!”

This encouragement embodies the blend of excitement and responsibility that comes with being an F1 driver, especially for a young talent stepping into a high-pressure environment like Mercedes.

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