Toto Wolff sends message to Kimi Antonelli doubters after record-breaking F1 title

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has reflected on the criticism he faced for replacing Lewis Hamilton with Kimi Antonelli, after the Italian secured his maiden Formula 1 world championship.

Antonelli became the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history at the Mexico Grand Prix, claiming the title at just 20 years old during his second season in the sport.

The Italian's championship triumph comes after Wolff faced significant criticism for his decision to promote Antonelli into the Mercedes seat vacated by seven-time world champion Hamilton ahead of the 2025 season.

Despite Antonelli experiencing a difficult debut campaign, Wolff has insisted that he never doubted the youngster's ability to deliver success for Mercedes.

When speaking to Sky Sports after the Mexico Grand Prix, Wolff said, "It started with people saying: 'You can't be serious about putting an 18-year-old in the car that Lewis Hamilton previously drove. He had a disappointing Formula 2 season. He should do another year in Formula 2 and first prove that he really is good enough.’”

"Then, once we had put him in the car, people said, 'He shouldn't be in a Mercedes. That's far too much pressure for him. Why didn't you try to reach an agreement with Williams and give him, like George, one, two, or three years to develop?' And of course, those voices became even louder after he had gone nine races in a row without points."

Antonelli's difficult run of results during his rookie campaign only intensified the scrutiny surrounding Mercedes' decision to promote him directly into one of Formula 1's leading teams.

However, Wolff maintained his belief in Antonelli's potential, insisting that the challenges he experienced during his debut season were always part of the development process.

When reflecting on the 2025 season, Wolff added, "Those who said 'I told you so' suddenly gained more and more momentum. But for us, for me personally, there was never even the slightest doubt.

“2025 was exactly the season I had expected. It was clear to me that it would be a project over at least two years, with the second year needing to confirm what we had seen in him. And I think today we are sitting here and have received that confirmation. It is incredible.

"We really have to pinch ourselves, because it feels to us as if it was only yesterday that he was standing in a garage in junior karting as an 11-year-old. And then everything happens so quickly.

“He wins the junior single-seater series, then experiences a difficult year in Formula 2. And even back then, people from the outside began to doubt him. I am just incredibly proud of the team that everyone continued to believe in him. And he delivered."