At a Mercedes media event in St. Kilda, a trendy district in Melbourne, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff once again expressed his loyalty to his drivers for the upcoming season, namely George Russell and newcomer Kimi Antonelli (pictured). “When you’re in a good relationship, you don’t flirt with others,” he responded to a question about his interest in Max Verstappen.
The Austrian stated his full commitment to his current line-up for this season. Both drivers, incidentally, have contracts that expire at the end of this season. “At the moment, there’s nothing on the radar that could divert my focus from these two drivers. They need to perform as well as possible and have my full confidence,” said Wolff in the lead-up to the Australian GP in Melbourne.
Toto Wolff emphasized his high expectations of Antonelli. “I told George, ‘I don’t expect you to outpace Kimi all the time.’ We wouldn’t have even signed Kimi if we thought that could happen. I expect Kimi to be close to George. We now have a line-up with a very young driver of 18 and a young driver of 27. I hope they will challenge each other greatly this season.”Wolff emphasizes that the Italian rookie at Mercedes will be given the time and space to learn. And thus, to make mistakes. “I still have a lot to learn and hope to benefit from the experience of George and Valtteri,” says Antonelli, somewhat humbly.
Bottas as a Safety Net
Valtteri Bottas is the reserve driver for Mercedes this season. He serves as a safe safety net for the team, should Antonelli not meet the sky-high expectations of the public. In addition to being the third driver, he is also a mentor for Antonelli, the Finn emphasizes.
“I want to be useful to the team. It would be a shame not to use the knowledge and experience I have gained in Formula 1. I know a bit how Kimi feels. I’ve been in the same shoes in 2013, when I drove my first F1 race here in Melbourne. Kimi knows he can ask me anything. About racing, qualifying, and even about life,” says Bottas, who also emphasizes that he has the ambition to return to the grid. In 2026. And who knows, maybe earlier…
