Mercedes' Wolff Praises Antonelli's Speed and Potential

Toto Wolff praises Andrea Kimi Antonelli's single-lap speed and potential despite a mixed performance in Miami.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is looking on the bright side after Andrea Kimi Antonelli's mixed performance in Miami. The 18-year-old rookie, who replaced Lewis Hamilton, had a challenging weekend.

Wolff's focus is on Antonelli's performance rather than his name. The Italian teen is relaxed about being referred to as either Andrea or Kimi. Wolff's priority is assessing Antonelli's skills on the track.

Austrian team principal Toto Wolff humorously referenced the nickname “Kimi” for driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli after the young driver secured pole position for the Miami Grand Prix sprint. Wolff declared over the team radio, “Kimi, you're not an Andrea today,” highlighting Antonelli's impressive performance.

The nickname “Kimi” is inspired by Ferrari's 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen and has quickly gained traction among commentators. According to team insiders, Wolff uses “Kimi” and “Andrea” as a lighthearted way to differentiate between Antonelli's strong and weaker performances. In Miami, Antonelli had a mixed weekend, showcasing both sides.

After securing pole position for the sprint, Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished 10th, but penalties for other drivers elevated him to 7th place. However, the highlight of his sprint was his composure after a collision with Max Verstappen in the pit lane due to an unsafe release by Red Bull. Antonelli skillfully handled the situation by continuing down the pit lane instead of taking his scheduled stop, preventing a potentially worse outcome.

For the main race, Antonelli qualified third, while his teammate George Russell secured fifth place. In the race, Antonelli finished sixth, while Russell improved to third place, showcasing a strong performance from the Mercedes duo.

Toto Wolff praised Andrea Kimi Antonelli's single-lap speed, describing it as a highlight of his performance. “That's another proof of his talent and a good indication of how the future can be,” Wolff said, acknowledging Antonelli's potential.

Wolff also noted that Antonelli's inexperience in managing tires and finding the right racing references was evident during the weekend, but remained optimistic about the young driver's future prospects.

“(Race engineer Peter) Bono (Bonnington) really tried to guide him but when you're in that car, it's not easy. And I think it's just part of the learning curve, it's nothing that is disappointing or not.

“Overall, I go away with the feeling that he's done a good job.”

Andrea Kimi Antonelli has consistently performed well in his Formula 1 career, scoring points in five of his six races. He holds multiple records, including becoming the youngest driver to lead a Formula 1 race and set the fastest lap, both achieved during the Japanese Grand Prix.

Antonelli currently sits sixth in the standings with 48 points. He has a seven-point lead over Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and significantly outscores the other five rookies in the field, with more than four times their combined total.