Mercedes boss Toto Wolff isn’t one to sugar-coat Formula 1 – and his verdict on Kimi Antonelli’s rookie season is as brutal as it is glowing.
In Wolff’s eyes, 2025 was not about protecting the 19-year-old prodigy. It was about survival, growth, and throwing him straight into the fire.
Replacing Lewis Hamilton was always going to be an impossible act to follow, but Antonelli didn’t flinch. From a stunning P4 on debut in Australia to sprint pole and a breakthrough podium in Canada, the Italian teenager showed flashes of brilliance that justified Mercedes’ faith – even as the pressure of a top team tested him relentlessly.
‘Thrown to the cannibals’
Wolff had warned everyone what was coming long before Antonelli turned a wheel.
"Last year when we announced that he would drive the car, I said that we're going to have ups and downs, moments of brilliance and then other moments where you want to tear your hair out," Wolff explained during a Mercedes debrief video.
"Because of the… you call them learnings, but because of the mistakes, that's what it is. And I think we have seen exactly that. We've seen very strong races at the beginning of the season, particularly towards the end. But I think we never doubted in the speed, the talent and his ability."
And then came Wolff’s most vivid assessment of life at the sharp end of Formula 1.
"It's just you're being thrown to the cannibals in Formula 1. The intense pressure of the media, the responsibility you have to Mercedes - to the many people that are giving their all to provide you an engine and a car."
Pressure builds champions
For Wolff, the toughest lessons came mid-season, when expectations multiplied and demands pulled Antonelli in every direction.
"I think probably that was the learning, throughout the middle of the season, particularly in Europe, with everybody wanting something from you,” he said. “And he's a good person. So he didn't want to say no either.”
©Mercedes
Despite the bruises, the outcome speaks volumes. Antonelli finished seventh in the Drivers’ Championship with 150 points, helping Mercedes secure P2 in the Constructors’ standings.
"And overall, I would say a good season, full of learning, a strong base to move from here and start in 2026 with a new car, new to everyone. And you know what to expect,” concluded Wolff.
At Mercedes, they don’t ease you in. They throw you to the cannibals – and if you survive, you’re ready to lead.
Read also:
Still a Kid’: Wolff reveals the lesson Antonelli is teaching Mercedes
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