Toto Wolff refusing to copy one Christian Horner call could be about to make Mercedes millions

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Mercedes are now in a position to claim second place in the Formula 1 constructors’ championship with three races to go.

They have left both Red Bull and Ferrari behind a little bit, and their car has looked quite quick at most circuits recently. Team boss Toto Wolff will be delighted.

Part of their strong form recently has been due to young Kimi Antonelli, who seems to have figured something out behind the wheel of his car.

At one stage in the campaign, Mercedes had plenty of reason to be concerned with his performance, given he scored points once in a seven-race stretch.

F1 fans made a ‘nonsense’ claim about Antonelli, insisting that it is pointless to compare his rookie season with that of Lewis Hamilton’s.

Ferrari’s ‘dream’ Hamilton replacement is Antonelli, but as he has shown this season, he still has a lot of developing left to do, and is far from the finished product.

READ MORE: What Peter Bonnington did behind the scenes at Mercedes that led to Kimi Antonelli’s 2025 upturn

Toto Wolff refusing to copy what Christian Horner did with Liam Lawson could make Mercedes millions

Damon Hill is ‘still not sure’ about Antonelli, and wants to see more from the young Italian driver before deciding whether his rookie season has been good enough.

With two podiums to show for his efforts, there has also been a lot of learning this season. One of the weekends that stands out most was his home race in Imola.

Sitting seventh in the drivers’ championship, there’s still a small chance that he can end up sixth with a stellar end to the season.

At one stage, making it to the end of the year felt like a success. Wolff kept confidence in his abilities and refused to cut him like Christian Horner did with Liam Lawson after two races.

The pay-off? Well, it could be magnificent if he ends up helping the team to second place in the constructors’ standings. The difference between finishing fourth and second is tens of millions.

George Russell may be ‘frustrated’ by Antonelli and his newfound speed. It’s something that he might have to get used to in the future.

READ MORE: Toto Wolff had an agreement to loan out Kimi Antonelli to struggling team if he signed Max Verstappen

Why 2026 is a critical year for Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes

Heading into the 2026 F1 regulations, Antonelli will be aware that he needs to step up his game. He cannot afford another season like he has just had.

Antonelli showed Russell he won’t be a number two to him in the future in Mexico, and standing up to the Briton is a good approach.

Evidently, he was a very raw prospect when Mercedes thrust him into a top seat. There are signs that may be starting to pay off, now.

Given that his deal was for one year in 2025, there’s a chance that may be the case for 2026, too. If he fails to perform, then a demotion to somewhere like Alpine could be on the cards.