Lewis Hamilton announced his move to Ferrari in February, leaving the Mercedes side after a decade. This move left the Silver Arrows searching for a replacement. After a long wait, the squad finally announced Kimi Antonelli as Mercedes’ new face. The Italian racing prodigy dubbed the next Lewis Hamilton, has been phenomenal in his F2 run. Therefore, the team fast-forwarded his F1 entry without any experience.
Many experts favored seating him in the Williams car for a season or two. This would have helped him prepare for the mega challenge of replacing a seven-time world champion. However, the team chief, Toto Wolff, was adamant about giving him a chance and signing him in for the next season. Moreover, he was given a chance in FP1 of the Monza race to get a taste of F1. Unfortunately, Antonelli’s FP1 session was cut short by a crash as he drove right into the Pirelli wall. Wolff ha snow addressed whether the decision to sign Kimi was made in haste.
“Never Put A Single Foot Wrong,” Toto Wolff Explains What Went Wrong In Antonelli’s F1 Debut
The Italian crowd in Monza was excited to see a young, local boy steer the W15 across the circuit. Kimi Antonelli started string, with some rapid laps across the track. However, he crashed into a parabolica, ending his run. Mercedes management was under heavy scrutiny after a premature end to his FP1 session. F1 aficionado claimed the Silver Arrows of rushing Kimi into the pinnacle of motorsport. However, when discussing the incident with AutoSport, Wolff denied that giving Antonelli a chance was a mistake. Although he acknowledged that the team underestimated the amount of pressure Antonelli would face.
Moreover, Wolff highlighted the team’s preparation and strategy for the session. Kimi’s brilliant performance during testing backed the decision and strategy. The Austrian executive emphasized that Kimi “never put a foot wrong” during the thousands of kilometers of practice. Subsequently, he accepted F1 as a different ‘ball game’ with the additional pressure of being an Italian teenager in front of the Tifosi. Despite the setback, Antonelli gained valuable experience, getting a taste of the high-intensity of F1.
Toto Wolff Doesn’t Expect A ‘Blast’ From Kimi Antonelli’s Debut F1 Season
While interacting with motorsport.com, Toto Wolff described his expectations of the young Italian teenager. While Wolff doesn’t have any doubts about Kimi’s capabilities, he still doesn’t expect a ‘blast’ from him on the F1 debut. However, he emphasized that Antonelli would gradually develop an understanding of Formula One, but the team must give him time to do so. The young racing prodigy is an exciting prospect, and seeing his progress from point zero would be interesting.
