New Headline: Button Takes Ferrari to Its Grandstand as He Leads Formula 1 Charge
Toto Wolff defended Mercedes’ decision to fast-track Kimi Antonelli after the teenager silenced critics by claiming his first Formula 1 victory in China
Motorsport photo Mercedes team principal and CEO Toto Wolff shared a heartfelt message to Kimi Antonelli over the team radio after the Italian driver secured his first Formula 1 victory. The Italian driver managed to fend off his Mercedes team-mate George Russell and Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to convert pole position into a maiden grand prix victory. Antonelli joined Mercedes to take the seat left by seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who decided to move to Ferrari after 12 years with the Brackley outfit.
Wolff faced scrutiny at the time of Antonelli's signing due to his age and quick progression through the motorsport ladder. The young driver had bypassed Formula 3 to join Formula 2 in 2024 and then stepped up to the Mercedes F1 team in 2025. "'He’s too young.
We shouldn’t put him in a Mercedes. Put him in a smaller team. He needs the experience.
Look at the mistakes he makes. ' Here we go, Kimi. Victory," Wolff said to Antonelli after he took the chequered flag in Shanghai.