Former Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer Praises Toto Wolff Over Kimi Antonelli Gamble

Following seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton's decision to leave Mercedes and join Ferrari in 2025, the Brackley outfit had to choose between signing an experienced driver or backing an up-and-comer. Team boss Toto Wolff opted to fast-track Kimi Antonelli to Formula 1. Speaking on the High Performance Racing podcast, former Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer stated that Wolff deserves credit for taking the risk, while also pointing out that Gwen Lagrue was the one who discovered Antonelli.

Although Wolff faced significant criticism when making the decision, Antonelli has gone on to deliver strong results. In his second season in the series, he leads the driver standings with an 81-point advantage over teammate George Russell and has secured eight grand prix victories. After Antonelli captured his maiden F1 win in Shanghai, China, Wolff used the team radio to poke fun at critics who had previously claimed the driver was too young or made too many mistakes.

Discussing his radio message after the race, Wolff explained that while it was nice to prove critics wrong, the feedback was never overly harsh as people recognized Antonelli's talent. However, the Mercedes chief emphasized the need to remain grounded, noting that perceptions in the sport can change rapidly from one race to the next.