It is quite something to watch a driver go from failing to score in ten races to standing at the absolute summit of motorsport. Kimi Antonelli has just claimed his maiden Formula 1 title at the Mexico City Grand Prix, securing the championship with a third-place finish on Sunday to cap off a stunning season featuring nine Grand Prix wins.
Now the youngest World Champion in just his second season of F1, the Italian's journey has not been straightforward. Mercedes faced fierce pressure and calls to replace him following a bruising debut campaign where he failed to score in ten races, having been promoted straight into F1 after just three seasons in junior single-seaters. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Team Principal Toto Wolff admitted that backing the driver at the age of just 20 was a calculated move rather than a reckless one, even when the outside world began to panic.
"It's incredible, we have to pinch ourselves because it seems like yesterday he was 11 years old in the garage in junior karting. And it goes so fast," Wolff said. The Austrian recalled how the decision was crystalized when Lewis Hamilton announced his departure for Ferrari, prompting Wolff to immediately put Antonelli in the car despite widespread skepticism from outside the garage.
The path was littered with pressure points, from a difficult year in F2 that sparked initial doubts to the tears in Spa during a scoreless run of ten races. Wolff noted that the gamble went far beyond the stopwatch, revealing that two sponsors actually left the team because they questioned the decision to hire an unknown kid. Yet, the team held their ground, and the reward is now total.
Beyond the raw speed on track, Antonelli completely transformed the atmosphere inside the garage. Wolff highlighted how the young driver's infectious personality won over the crew, describing how an emotional, hugging Italian boy managed to thaw out stiff, unemotional English people until even the Brits were hugging each other.
For all his on-track maturity and polished interactions with partners and sponsors, Wolff was equally charmed by the driver's youth. Recalling a moment when he needed to speak with his driver for his birthday, Wolff found out the newly crowned champion had simply gone off to a waterpark with his friends—a stark reminder of just how fast the kid's incredible journey has moved.
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