Kimi Antonelli secured a spectacular home victory at the Italian Grand Prix, with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff comparing his development in Formula 1 to an 'AI agent' that continuously self-improves.
Wolff admitted he is 'amazed' at how quickly Antonelli has developed during the 2026 season, where the 20-year-old now leads the championship in only his second year in F1, having replaced Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton.
Antonelli's rookie season was a mixed bag, with moments of brilliance but also costly mistakes. Yet Wolff never wavered in his decision to promote the Italian, who was just 18 when he signed.
"Last year was according to plan," said Wolff. "He started the season like a deer in the headlights. In the car, extraordinary performances, but not continuous. Then he had a negative spell where he went nine races without scoring. Spa was terrible and he was feeling down. Monza was the point where I first said, 'listen, you've got to wake up'. But I never doubted."
As F1 entered a new technical era in 2026, Mercedes immediately emerged as front-runners, and Antonelli took the challenge impressively. After his maiden win in the second race, he won the next four Grands Prix. Wolff added, "He came out after the winter in a way no one saw coming. The ability to process last year, the media pressure, the attention—it's like a system that has been processed and saved. It's like an AI agent that continuously self-improves. His age is also beneficial cognitively."
Despite leading his teammate by 66 points, Antonelli remains grounded. "I take it race by race because you never know," he said after Monza. "Next week is Madrid, a new track for everyone. We need to be on top of our game."
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