Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the promising 19-year-old Mercedes junior driver, is currently facing increased scrutiny after a series of performance issues at the Monza Grand Prix. Following critical remarks from former world champions Jacques Villeneuve and Nico Rosberg, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has publicly addressed Antonelli’s recent errors, marking a notable shift in the team‘s usually supportive stance.
Wolff told ServusTV that Antonelli had made “too many mistakes” during the Italian Grand Prix weekend, describing his overall effort as “underwhelming.” This marked the first time Wolff has openly censured the young driver, who had previously been shielded from public blame despite incidents earlier in his career.
Setbacks at Monza Highlight Pressure on the Young Driver
Antonelli’s Monza weekend was marked by multiple difficulties, beginning with a crash during Friday’s practice sessions at the Alboreto corner. Despite signing his first Formula 1 contract after a similar crash at the same circuit last year, this time the consequences were more severe. Wolff emphasized the unacceptability of driving errors before a race weekend:
You can’t put the car in the gravel bed [on Friday] and expect to be there,
he said, adding that the entire race was similarly disappointing.
Wolff suggested that Antonelli’s immediate focus should be on consistent, clean race weekends moving forward:
What he needs now is simply to deliver a solid weekend,
he said.
Then he’ll be right there, fighting with [Charles] Leclerc and George [Russell].
Raw Speed Evident, But Race Consistency Lacking
Despite his struggles in the race, Antonelli demonstrated clear speed, especially after Mercedes returned to a previous suspension setup, which better suited his driving style. He qualified just 0.043 seconds behind his experienced teammate George Russell, showing promise for the future.
However, his race performance showed why Russell remains the more dependable driver. At the start, Antonelli fell from sixth to tenth, and inconsistent driving earned him a penalty later in the race. Antonelli himself reflected on his poor start, explaining to Sky Sports F1,
I just went a bit deep with the clutch and got wheelspin straight away, and just lost so many places,
adding,
That compromised the race because I found myself needing to chase. It was not ideal. Even on the mediums I struggled a bit, did a few mistakes, just couldn’t really find my rhythm.
Controversial Defensive Move Results in Penalty
Antonelli finished ninth on hard tires but faced pressure from Alexander Albon, who was running on fresher soft tires. On lap 45, Albon attempted to overtake Antonelli on the outside at Curva Grande. Antonelli moved wide, forcing Albon away and prompting stewards to impose a five-second penalty and add a penalty point against him.
The stewards’ ruling stated,
When Albon was in the process of pulling alongside Antonelli at high speed Antonelli moved to the left and squeezed Albon who had two wheels on the grass,
and
The Stewards determine that by doing this he drove in a manner deemed potentially dangerous to Albon.
Wolff supported the penalty, telling Sky Germany,
I think that was simply unnecessary,
then adding,
Albon was so much quicker. If you can defend, you get your elbows out. If you can’t, then you make sure not to lose time. But the way he did it – that wasn’t needed.
Team Principal Calls for Mental Reset Ahead of Upcoming Races
Wolff compared Antonelli’s situation to difficult phases experienced by other drivers, remarking,
The weekend began badly for him when he went off into the gravel,
and highlighted the importance of a clean weekend at the next race in Baku, which Antonelli is familiar with:
Unfortunate, like in Zandvoort. In Baku he needs to deliver a clean weekend. There will be less pressure there. It’s a track he knows.
Even with the criticism, Wolff reassured that his faith in Antonelli’s potential remains intact:
doesn’t change anything on my support and confidence in his future. Because I believe he’s going to be very, very, very good. But today was underwhelming.
Antonelli Acknowledges Progress and Areas for Improvement
The young driver accepted both praise and the need for growth, noting a positive step in qualifying performance:
Definitely the qualifying was a step forward. It’s been a bit of a weak point in the past few races.
However, he admitted that racing errors, such as the Friday crash, harmed his ability to compete effectively during long race stints.
Wolff indicated that conversations with Antonelli would focus on resetting his mental approach to avoid carrying previous mistakes into future sessions:
A clean weekend also means, almost, not to carry too much trauma of previous mistakes into the next session or the next weekend. Because that’s luggage. You’re not going to attack a corner hard if you’ve been off there before and finished your session,
he said.
Potential Remains High Despite Current Challenges
While Antonelli’s current record against Russell is heavily unbalanced, with only two qualifying wins to Russell’s 17 and no race wins to Russell’s 19, Wolff remains confident in Antonelli’s abilities and future prospects.
He stressed the driver’s natural talent and racing instincts, but acknowledged that overcoming recent struggles requires mental recovery:
Just freeing him up. He’s a great driver, he’s got this unbelievable ability and natural talent, he’s a racer. It’s all there. Everything is there. But we need to get rid of the ballast of previous races.
