Toto Wolff Reveals Prediction For Kimi Antonelli After Impressive Las Vegas Display

The Italian teenager turned heads by turning a one-stop strategy into third on the podium after the disqualification of both McLarens.

Kimi Antonelli | IMAGO / HochZwei

While it was ultimately Red Bull that took the glory in Las Vegas, with Max Verstappen's victory combined with McLaren's double disqualification making it a brilliant weekend for the Austrian team; Mercedes will still be pleased with their efforts.

Experienced number one driver George Russell came home behind Verstappen in second, while young hotshot Kimi Antonelli initially finished fifth, but was elevated to third after Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri's cars were found to have infringed regulations.

In a season that has seen intense ups and downs in what is the 19-year-old's rookie year, Toto Wolff was more than happy to give full credit to Antonelli in what was an impressive comeback drive.

Wolff expects fans to 'see more' from Antonelli after regulation changes in 2026

Toto Wolff recently sold 15% of his shares in Mercedes, but his confidence in the team is as strong as always. | Mercedes

Speaking to F1 TV after the conclusion of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Toto Wolff explained just how impressed he was with Mercedes' new signing for 2025.

"I'm not sure that we thought [a one-stop race] was realistic at the beginning, but then he went quicker and quicker and quicker... at the end, a super well-deserved [third place], even with the penalty."

Wolff on Antonelli's race

The young driver from Bologna was able to turn a P17 in qualifying following a shock Q1 exit into one of his best races of the year, thanks to a well-timed strategic move under the Virtual Safety Car.

Antonelli and Russell will be happy with their time spent in Nevada, both collectively picking up 33 points for Mercedes on Saturday night. | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Factoring in that Antonelli had a five-second penalty thanks to a jump start, one that Mercedes initially disagreed with, the cards were stacked against the Italian.

"We couldn't spot anything on the clutch, nor anything that would have pointed us to an irregular start. But you know the FIA have sensors, so let's see what they said."

Wolff on Antonelli's penalisation

But intelligent tire management allowed the Mercedes car to hold off both Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc for the duration of the race, crossing the line in fifth place behind Piastri after the five-second penalty was applied.

The eventual news that Antonelli would get P3 meant that the Las Vegas Grand Prix marked his third podium of the season, only bested by a second-placed finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix and equaling his debut podium in Canada.

Wolff was not afraid to admit that he has full confidence in the Antonelli gamble by Mercedes paying off, saying that the teenager's best years are yet to come, and considering his age, there should be a lot of them.

"We’ve always said that we expected [his rookie season] to be full of ups and downs [and] great [moments] of brilliance... this is not the end of development, this is still very... early stages, and I hope we're going to see more from Kimi next year... and in the many years to come.”

Wolff on Antonelli's future

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