Andrea Kimi Antonelli has completed his first five Grands Prix in Formula 1. After a turbulent debut in 2024 – when he crashed the W15 into the wall during a single free practice session at Monza – the young Italian has impressed this year. He has already scored good points for Mercedes and, moreover, has not caused any damage. Toto Wolff is more than satisfied with his latest acquisition, who so far is not the kamikaze pilot of last year.
“I think this is a good time to summarize the first six races – or actually five – and see where he (Antonelli, ed.) stands,” Toto Wolff responded after the Saudi GP. “I am very satisfied; the development is going in the right direction. There have also been no kamikaze actions,” he joked. This is directly one of Antonelli’s strongest points. As the opening race in Melbourne was plagued by rainfall, several rookies were eliminated early. Antonelli was one of the few who kept his cool and also finished in the points. He also stayed out of trouble on the narrow Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Steep Learning Curve
“Antonelli has been constantly learning throughout the weekends,” Wolff continued. “The most interesting thing is that he is always the fastest at the end of the weekend. This proves that he is really getting a grip on the car and knows how to handle the tires.” Antonelli, who skipped Formula 3 and only raced one season in Formula 2, faced a steep learning curve this year. So far, however, he is living up to expectations. With 38 championship points, he occupies the sixth place in the championship.
“Antonelli is 100 percent on schedule,” Wolff added. “Now we have to see how it develops once the European season begins. Of course, we are first going to Miami, but after that, we will get a clearer picture. In a familiar environment, on circuits he knows, we will see how he continues to develop,” concluded the team boss.
