Toto Wolff tells Kimi Antonelli ‘there are no miracles’ as he battles F1 ‘greats’ for the title

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As Kimi Antonelli enters his second season with Mercedes, Toto Wolff has made it clear he has to get results through hard work.

Making the transition from Formula 2 to Formula 1 can be a daunting task for any driver. But in Kimi Antonelli’s case, he had to walk in the footsteps of a giant.

Antonelli came into Mercedes in 2025 to replace the departing Lewis Hamilton, who departed the team to join Ferrari after 11 years and six world championship wins.

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Despite the difficult task ahead of him, Antonelli did well for a rookie, even picking up a podium finish at the Canadian Grand Prix.

But in his second season, the kid gloves are well and truly off, as Toto Wolff has made it clear his success is entirely in his own hands.

Toto Wolff reminds Kimi Antonelli there is no substitute for hard work in F1

Ahead of the new season, Toto Wolff spoke with Back at Base about his expectations for Kimi Antonelli after his rookie season.

The Mercedes head honcho reminded the young Italian driver that his talent isn’t going to be enough to get him success this season, and he has to work hard to compete with the best of the best.

“Yes. With capital letters. We wanted him to know what he’s going to be experiencing in 2026 with a new car, bearing in mind that he didn’t know many tracks. ”

“The whole experience of Formula 1 is a totally different dimension to F2. Just so much more pressure and scrutiny. We’ve done that… We’re launching ourselves into a season for his first proper season, in my opinion…”

“He has the talent, and he has the speed. Now it’s about just putting in the hours, putting in the laps, and getting the experience. There is no miracles. You can be as talented as anybody else, but you’ve just got to work. You’ve got to be intelligent and mature.”

Toto Wolff sees Kimi Antonelli as a future world champion, but admits it’s a long road ahead

When asked if Kimi Antonelli can be a future world champion with Mercedes, Toto Wolff said he sees him in that light, but knows the young driver has a lot to learn before he gets there.

“Yes, I believe that. I mean, there’s a long road ahead. He’s going against one of the best drivers in Formula One as his teammate, George Russell, and many greats out there… He’s always going to be under great scrutiny. But to answer your question, yes, definitely.”

Wolff was shrewd in mentioning George Russell as one of the best drivers in F1, as Russell is considered a strong favourite to win the championship this year.

Despite Antonelli’s struggles in testing, the young driver showed a level of aggression in Bahrain that he hadn’t in the previous season.

With Mercedes showing great pace during testing, there is reason to believe that Antonelli will find himself in a strong position this season.