Toto Wolff claims ‘pressure doesn’t harm’ the 2025 Mercedes prospect Andrea Kimi Antonelli

Andrea Kimi Antonelli is the hottest driver to have come out of the junior categories in recent times.

Toto Wolff claims ‘pressure doesn’t harm’ the 2025 Mercedes prospect Andrea Kimi Antonelli

Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Toto Wolff (Via: Imago)

Ever since Lewis Hamilton revealed that he would be moving to Ferrari in 2025, F2 sensation/Mercedes junior, Andrea Kimi Antonelli has been tipped to fill the vacant seat. The noise around this is still immense and ahead of the upcoming Hungarian GP weekend, Toto Wolff has backed the young driver to deal will the pressure that comes with driving in F1.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli is one of the hottest names to have come out of the junior circuit. Seeing his talent, he was made to fully skip F3 as Mercedes put him directly into F2. The Italian has so far managed to amass 58 points in the 2024 standings.

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Several pundits have shared their opinions on Antonelli’s F1 prospect, and amidst the noise, Wolff has come forward to praise him.

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What I like in terms of his attitude, generally his family, who have been always close to him, is the objective assessment of a situation, and that is good or not good enough. And I don't think that the pressure harms him at all the way he performs in the car and how he drives.
Toto Wolff via Racingnews365

Looking at the reaction of the Mercedes team principal, it seems that he is immensely pleased with how Antonelli has been dealing with the hype around him. Moreover, has specifically emphasized how that the Italian doesn’t let the noise affect him while tussling on the track.

Ex-F1 driver feels Andrea Kimi Antonelli can be ‘parked’ for another year

While Antonelli has been tipped by many as the favorite to secure the 2025 Mercedes seat, the Ex-F1 driver, Christian Danner, has come up with a different approach. He has suggested keeping Antonelli on the bench for 2025 and roping in Carlos Sainz on a one-year deal.

Carlos Sainz and Andrea Kimi Antonelli (5)
Carlos Sainz and Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Via: Imago)

Alongside Antonelli, Sainz’ is also on the radar of the Mercedes team.

I’d put him [Antonelli] off. Kimi can also be parked for another year. Toto now has to decide who is really the best for me. and of course that is Carlos Sainz, we don’t even need to talk about it.
Christian Danner via Motorsport Magazine

The 2024 F1 season recently reached its halfway point. There are still 12 races remaining and considering this, it’s going to be fascinating to see how the Mercedes 2025 situation will develop. As things stand, the seat on the Brackley-based outfit is the only top seat available for next year.

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