Former Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer has praised Toto Wolff for taking the risk of promoting Kimi Antonelli to Mercedes. Szafnauer believes Wolff and his team deserve credit for their vision in spotting young talent.
After Lewis Hamilton decided to join Ferrari in 2025, Mercedes faced a tough choice: sign an experienced driver or trust a rookie. Wolff opted for the latter, fast-tracking Antonelli to F1—a decision that initially drew heavy criticism.
Now, in his second season, Antonelli leads the standings with an 81-point advantage over teammate George Russell and has secured eight grand prix victories. "You've got to give Toto credit for taking the risk on Kimi," Szafnauer said on the High Performance Racing podcast. "And also Gwen [Lagrue]. He discovered him."
Criticism peaked before Antonelli's maiden win in China. After the race, Wolff quipped over team radio: "'He’s too young. We shouldn’t put him in a Mercedes. Put him in a smaller team. He needs the experience. Look at the mistakes he makes.' Here we go, Kimi. Victory," Wolff told Antonelli.
Reflecting on the radio message, Wolff explained: "When things go bad, there are people who come out and say, 'That was a bad decision,' and 'Mercedes took too much risk.' And it was never really harsh criticism because people recognise the talent that he has. But there were many voices within the sport and outside that said, 'That was a mistake to do.' So it's nice to have a little revanche. But obviously, it's one race win. And this sport that we live in is manic depressive. Today, it's great. In two weeks, we are in Japan, and he puts it in the wall, and people say he's too young. So I think we need to just keep the feet on the ground."
Szafnauer's praise underscores that Wolff's bold bet on Antonelli is paying off. With the young driver's impressive performances, the decision is now seen as one of the most visionary moves in recent F1 history.
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