Kimi Antonelli finished just inside the points at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix, starting from P6 but facing a challenging race. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff shared his disappointment with Antonelli’s performance at Monza while maintaining confidence that the rookie will improve with experience in the upcoming races. The Kimi Antonelli Mercedes rookie performance has drawn mixed reactions as the young driver navigates the learning curve of Formula 1.
Antonelli’s Struggles and Incidents in Recent Races
During the Dutch Grand Prix, Antonelli was involved in a collision with Charles Leclerc that ended the Ferrari driver’s race. Despite continuing and finishing within the Top 10, Antonelli was penalized for causing the collision and speeding in the pit lane, which relegated him out of the points. At the Italian GP weekend, Antonelli showed promise by placing fifth in FP1, but his momentum faltered after he lost control during FP2 and ended the session prematurely in the gravel. Similar mistakes were made during FP1 at the Dutch GP, limiting his valuable track time.
Race Performance and Penalties at Monza
While Antonelli started in P6 at Monza, a slow getaway caused him to drop several places early in the race. He fought back to finish in the Top 10, but a late-race incident saw him force Alex Albon off track, resulting in a time penalty that dropped him from P8 to P9. These performance issues led to Toto Wolff‘s first public remarks of criticism, underscoring the rookie’s inconsistent weekend.
“Underwhelming this weekend. Underwhelming. You can’t put the car in the gravel bed and expect to be there.”
—Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal
“All of the race was underwhelming. It doesn’t change anything in my support and confidence in his future because I believe he’s going to be very, very, very good. But today was… underwhelming,” added Toto Wolff
—Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal
Toto Wolff Maintains Long-Term Confidence Despite Rookie Errors
Toto Wolff acknowledged the rough start to Kimi Antonelli’s rookie season, highlighting crashes with Max Verstappen at the Austrian Grand Prix and Charles Leclerc at the Dutch GP as part of the young driver’s growth process. Wolff stressed the importance of learning from mistakes as Antonelli adapts to the pressures of competing for a top team like Mercedes.
“We want to have a driver that has speed, that is fast, that learns, that scores the points, but all the big ones [drivers] make mistakes. It’s difficult to compare now because Max was given a different environment in Toro Rosso at the beginning, but there were also some moments where you said, ‘That was a big mistake’,” said Toto Wolff (via F1)
—Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal
“Kimi, 18 years old, thrown in this mammoth of a team, representing Mercedes, he’s going to make mistakes. Hopefully less mistakes next year and scoring bigger points. But my 100% belief is in him in the long term, and that is just part of the learning,” he added
—Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal
The Road Ahead for Kimi Antonelli with Mercedes
Despite setbacks, Antonelli has shown glimpses of talent, including earning his first podium finish at the Canadian Grand Prix. However, it remains clear that additional refinement and experience will be critical for him to consistently deliver strong results in F1. Wolff’s backing reflects the team’s willingness to invest in Antonelli’s development, expecting his performance to improve as he gains more track time and matures in the sport.
