Following Mercedes’ recent confirmation that Kimi Antonelli will remain with the team in 2026, team boss Toto Wolff has expressed his confidence in the 19-year-old rookie. Wolff anticipates that everyone will see the ‘real Kimi’ next year and predicts, to put it mildly, a promising future for the Italian’s career.
Toto Wolff had long been courting the services of Max Verstappen. When it was announced that the reigning world champion would ‘simply’ stay with Red Bull, the chances for both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli to remain with Mercedes significantly increased. After months of speculation, it was confirmed ahead of the United States Grand Prix in October that Russell and Antonelli will also form the line-up of the Silver Arrows in 2026.
Antonelli’s first year in Formula 1 has been one of high peaks and deep valleys. After a promising start – in Miami he became the youngest driver ever with a sprint pole – a point drought followed when the Formula 1 circus visited Europe. After his home race at Monza, the Italian received a ‘kick in the pants’ from Mercedes and significantly improved his performance: he finished fourth in Baku, fifth in Singapore, and sixth in Mexico.
The Real Kimi
Wolff is convinced that his 19-year-old protégé will take another step forward in 2026. “Kimi has a long-term future,” said the Mercedes team boss after confirming that Antonelli will also stay with the German racing team next year. “It’s very difficult to perform immediately in this generation of cars without experience. Next year is a reset. He now knows all the circuits, knows how to deal with media pressure, and how to work within the team. I expect we will see the real Kimi next year.”
The German predicts a bright future for the Italian. When asked if he believes Antonelli can ultimately become world champion, based on what he has shown so far, he replied: “Yes, absolutely.”
