Wolff explains Antonelli’s turnaround after his tears in Belgium

Toto Wolff has described Kimi Antonelli’s transformation, from tears after a difficult moment to a position where a top-nine finish at the Mexico Grand Prix would secure him the world title. Antonelli has won nine races this season and has regularly had the better of Mercedes team-mate George Russell.

Wolff recalls the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix as a low point: Antonelli was in tears after being eliminated in Q1. “The many people who said last year, after nine races without points, that he shouldn’t be in Mercedes…” he recalled. He also referred to criticism from other teams, where some believed Antonelli should not even be in Formula 1. “The tears in Spa, in parc fermé. And all of that makes it extremely satisfying to see what he can deliver, how he works with the team, with Bono, and the results he is producing. But it wasn’t an easy road,” Wolff said.

The Mercedes team principal believes the circumstances may have helped the young driver adapt. “Maybe the fact that the regulations were all new worked to his benefit. When he came in last year, those cars had existed for four years and the other drivers were used to them,” he explained. This year, he added, everything was new for everyone; Antonelli made it work through his ease and his mindset.

Wolff also described a relaxed approach to the pressure. In Austin, Antonelli reportedly came to see him before getting ready and said he was going to enjoy the race without thinking about the championship. Wolff urged him to keep that attitude: “You have the best job in the world. Don’t forget that.” He praised Antonelli’s ability to produce unexpected performances and also credited his engineers, his wider environment and his family.

A title-winning finish at the Mexico Grand Prix remains conditional: according to Sky Sports, a place in the top nine would make Antonelli the sport’s youngest world champion at 20 and break Sebastian Vettel’s record by three years. Wolff joked that the celebrations could involve a big tequila party in Mexico or a caipirinha the following weekend. He also stressed that Antonelli first needed to finish the race.

Antonelli, meanwhile, wants to finish the season strongly. He has called his success a “good surprise” and highlighted Mercedes’ role in his rapid development over the last 18 months. “The perfect way would be to finish in style and enjoy the rest of the season,” he said. He knows the contest is close but says his mindset has not changed: he wants to finish the season well before considering what comes next.