Mercedes boss Toto Wolff makes his feelings known about Kimi Antonelli's stunning F1 debut

Toto Wolff reckons Mercedes has always been well aware of Kimi Antonelli’s talent and potential. Speaking to onsite media after the 2025 Australian GP, the Austrian team principal felt that the Italian driver could have qualified higher had he not hit a bump on the track.

Antonelli crossed the finish line in fourth place but was demoted to fifth due to a five-second penalty for an unsafe pit stop release. However, Mercedes successfully overturned the penalty, reinstating the rookie driver to fourth place.

Wolff believes Antonelli’s fourth-place finish was well deserved and a testament to his talent. He reckoned that Mercedes had been following his career since his younger years, and the quality that stood out the most was his ability to perform under pressure. He felt that the Italian could have qualified higher than 16th had he not hit a bump on the track, which resulted in floor damage and led to his unfortunate elimination in the first session of qualifying.

Speaking of Antonelli’s abilities, the Mercedes boss said:

“We always knew the potential [Antonelli has]. You see we followed him since he was a kid and [he] performs under pressure. Yesterday in qualifying that wasn't his doing. He just hit the bump at the wrong place and, (without that incident, ed.) he would have qualified much further ahead, and today you saw that. He was able to just properly reel everybody in slowly but surely without making any mistakes. He had a little spin but otherwise, P5 which was P4, is the result that he merits.”

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Toto Wolff reckons Lewis Hamilton’s departure is yet to sink in at Mercedes

Toto Wolff admits that Lewis Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes hasn’t fully sunk in yet. He revealed that out of habit, he still checked Hamilton’s lap times on the screens, momentarily forgetting that the Briton is now with Ferrari. The Mercedes team boss acknowledged that after a 13-year partnership, the team still cares about Hamilton and his performance. However, as a competitor, his priority is for Mercedes to beat its former driver and Ferrari.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1, the Mercedes CEO said:

“When I was looking at the screens at times, the way I looked at it is like we had three drivers, because I was looking at RUS, I was looking at ANT, and I was looking at HAM. Then, you realize that HAM is actually with Ferrari and is not with us anymore. He was such a long time [he was with us], it's logical that you can't say, 'He's gone and you don't care anymore'. We very much care about how he is doing, but obviously, on the track, he is the competition, and we have to beat the competition.”

Both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli managed to finish ahead of Lewis Hamilton at the Australian GP, with the Mercedes duo securing fourth and fifth place, while the former Mercedes champion crossed the line in tenth.

As Hamilton continues to adapt to his new team, Mercedes is learning to move on from his departure. Meanwhile, Ferrari sits seventh in the constructors’ championship, having scored just six points in the chaotic, rain-drenched race.