Toto Wolff states why it’s ‘not right’ to think Ferrari ‘should have discovered’ Kimi Antonelli

Follow us on Google Discover

Toto Wolff thinks it is wrong to say Ferrari should have been the team that discovered Andrea Kimi Antonelli, as Mercedes’ work made the Italian into the driver he is today.

Mercedes signed Antonelli to their young driver development programme in 2019 while the Bologna boy was still racing go-karts. The Silver Arrows saw the potential that Antonelli had as a kid, having won an array of karting titles, but Ferrari elected against a move themselves.

Antonelli grew up just 28 miles away from Maranello, and he had a connection to Ferrari as they supported Tony Kart when he raced with the team. But Antonelli “did not think twice” about joining Mercedes after Wolff called him, in a move that set the path for his rise to F1.

Mercedes’ support saw Antonelli switch to single-seaters when he turned 15, and Wolff also trusted his potential to step into F1 aged 18 when they had to replace seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton for 2025. Now, Antonelli is even leading the 2026 F1 drivers’ championship.

Is Kimi Antonelli the best teenager F1 has ever seen?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Toto Wolff thinks Mercedes’ work proves people are wrong to say Ferrari should have signed Kimi Antonelli

Antonelli leading the F1 drivers’ standings with a 20-point margin over Mercedes teammate George Russell has put an even greater spotlight on Italy’s great hope. Team principal Wolff has also heard some say that Ferrari, instead of Mercedes, should have backed his potential.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli

But Wolff is adamant that it is wrong to simply suggest that Ferrari should have been the F1 team that snapped Antonelli up in his youth. Wolff stresses that Antonelli would not be the driver he is today without the support that Mercedes gave throughout his rise towards F1.

Wolff told Gazzetta dello Sport: “Everyone’s talking about Kimi’s talent, about how early we discovered him, and I hear people saying things like, ‘Ferrari should have discovered him when he was young’, but that’s not right.

“The real value of our Mercedes development programme for young talents has been in being able to create the right environment for him to grow, giving him the best tools and supporting him in difficult situations.

“Talent is a starting point, but the real work has been during these eight years together.”

Do you think Kimi Antonelli will become Mercedes’ No. 1 driver?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

While some might question why Ferrari did not sign Antonelli in his youth and let Mercedes snap up Italy’s emerging gem, not everyone feels the Bologna boy missed out by not joining the Scuderia. It is also very unlikely that Antonelli would be in F1 now had he joined Ferrari.

Arturo Merzario even thinks Antonelli was “fortunate” not to drive for Ferrari, as Mercedes gave him time during his rookie season last year that he would never have got in Maranello. Now, Wolff is reaping the rewards, after Antonelli won the past three Grands Prix from pole.

It has also been suggested that, privately, Ferrari feel driving for them would be a burden for Antonelli, given the additional weight that an Italian racing for the Scuderia would carry. The burden is also amplified by Alberto Ascari being the last Italian F1 champion in 1952 and ‘53.