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Toto Wolff has drawn a comparison between Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton amid the former’s rise to superstardom.
Antonelli became the youngest-ever winner of the Monaco Grand Prix, F1’s most prestigious race, on Sunday and extended his victory streak to five. No driver has ever won the title before their 23rd birthday, but the Italian, who turns 20 in August, looks increasingly likely to make history.
Wolff always regarded Antonelli as a special talent, which is why he picked him to succeed Hamilton in the first place, but hardly anybody else in F1 expected this kind of leap from the teenager in his second season.
Kimi Antonelli takes his FIFTH straight win at the Monaco Grand Prix? Where has this dominance come from?
Photo Credit: Scuderia Ferrari HP Press Office, Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Oracle Red Bull Racing / Red Bull Content Pool
Toto Wolff: Kimi Antonelli can’t even go to restaurants anymore
Speaking to Blick, Wolff said Antonelli is becoming Mercedes’ new ‘global rock star’ because of his mass appeal. He is winning new fans across multiple demographics.
Wolff has seen first-hand that Antonelli, who has already scored twice as many podiums this year as he did in his rookie season (six vs three), is becoming famous.
In his homeland, there’s even talk that Antonelli is becoming bigger than Ferrari. The country could have its first world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
Lewis Hamilton is up to second in the drivers’ standings after the Monaco GP! Where will George Russell finish this year?
Photo by Mark Sutton – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
“After Lewis, we now have a new global rock star at Mercedes,” said Wolff. “He thrills the masses, from young to old. It doesn’t matter what gender is cheering him on.
“Yes, we can’t go to a restaurant together anymore. Immediately, lines of autograph hunters form. Then there’s no peace and quiet.”
Marco Antonelli says his son wanted to join Ferrari
Antonelli could have signed for Ferrari when he was a child, before he joined the Mercedes academy. However, the bosses at Maranello felt he was ‘too small’ to make it at the highest level.
“When he was 11, we visited the factory in Maranello and wanted to join the red academy,” Marco Antonelli told Blick.
“But the people in charge turned us down because Kimi was too small for them! Shortly afterwards, we signed with Mercedes!”
Recent reports suggest Ferrari are determined to sign Antonelli at the first opportunity, correcting their mistake, but Wolff will no doubt do all he can to tie him down long-term.
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