Wolff on Antonelli disaster: ‘Unfortunate for Max but it's racing'

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff defended rookie Kimi Antonelli following the young Italian’s dramatic opening-lap collision at the Austrian Grand Prix that ended Red Bull’s Max Verstappen’s race and left Mercedes’ hopes in tatters.

Coming off a high from George Russell’s victory in Canada, Mercedes arrived at the Red Bull Ring with high expectations, especially after topping the timing sheets in Friday practice.

However, the Brackley squad’s weekend unraveled quickly, culminating in Antonelli’s Turn 3 crash and a subdued P5 finish for Russell.

Mistakes Just part of F1

Starting ninth, in the middle of the pack, Antonelli lost control under braking as the field headed into the uphill Turn 3 hairpin and collided with Verstappen, ending the Dutchman’s race on the spot and triggering an early safety car.

The incident, which earned the Mercedes driver a three-place grid penalty for next weekend’s British Grand Prix, drew criticism, with many highlighting Antonelli’s lack of experience.

But Wolff was quick to support his young driver, maintaining that mistakes are inevitable in the high-pressure world of Formula 1.

“We always knew that eventually… No, I word it differently… These mistakes happen,” Wolff said when asked about the crash.

“The rears blocked on the car. I’m not entirely sure it was his [Antonelli’s] fault or a system. I haven’t seen any data or heard anything, because obviously we were concentrating on the race. But that happens, you know.

“It’s unfortunate for Max and Red Bull that Kimi hit him, but it’s racing.”

Antonelli, just months into his rookie season, reportedly returned to the garage quickly after the incident. Wolff recounted the exchange with a sense of understanding rather than frustration.

“Yeah, he came into the garage quickly. I said, ‘Well, that wasn’t great’, which he obviously knew, but he said the tyres just blocked and we need to analyse that.

“It’s a shame that Max… that we took another car out with us, but that can happen to the great ones, to the inexperienced ones, to the experienced ones – it’s just part of F1.”

Mercedes Fade in the Heat

While Antonelli’s crash stole the headlines, Mercedes also struggled to extract competitive pace in the race, particularly compared to McLaren and Ferrari. Russell, who started fifth, could do no more than match his grid slot, finishing a distant minute behind the leaders.

Wolff lamented the team’s regression from Canada, suggesting that experimental setup choices may have backfired.

“When you look at our performance last year, we won, we won the race here,” he said, referencing Russell’s opportunistic victory after a clash between Verstappen and Norris.

“We were, I don’t remember, 10-15 seconds behind the leaders, and that was a very solid performance.

“This year we’re a minute behind the leaders, so that is clearly out of the ordinary what happened today. We do experiment at the moment a little bit, how to position, how to put the car on track, where we put the balance, and clearly this one we got wrong – and we know that.

“I think it’s not only down to asphalt, long corners and heat. Clearly that’s not our sweet spot, but it doesn’t explain the gap, and I think we know why, but in hindsight you always know.”

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The disappointing weekend sees Mercedes slip to third in the Constructors’ standings, a point behind Ferrari, who scored strongly with Charles Leclerc finishing third and Lewis Hamilton fourth.

While Antonelli’s error undoubtedly dealt a blow to the team, Wolff’s firm stance suggests Mercedes remain committed to their young driver’s development – accepting the growing pains as part of the journey in F1’s unforgiving arena.

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