Toto Wolff thinks it is only a matter of time before Ferrari will try to lure Andrea Kimi Antonelli away from Mercedes. The young Italian has become a big star in his home country, thanks to his unexpected success in Formula 1 this season. According to Wolff, Ferrari sees that too: “Of course, they will do everything to bring in an Italian driver.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli surprised friend and foe with his winning streak between the recent Grands Prix of China and Monaco. The young driver has been leading the drivers’ championship for some time now, and has therefore also become a big star in his home country Italy. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff therefore expects that the chance is also growing that Ferrari – the other national pride of Italy – wants to lure the young Italian away from Mercedes.
“We know about it,” Wolff said to RTBF when asked if Ferrari’s interest worries him. “But Kimi has been driving for Mercedes since he was eleven. Ferrari should have arranged this six or seven years ago, instead of only realizing now that there is a good Italian driver. Of course, they will do everything to bring in an Italian driver.”
Read more VIDEO: Lightning start for Max Verstappen in GP Belgium
‘Very proud of Kimi and George’
According to the Mercedes boss, Antonelli’s rise does not come out of nowhere, but is the result of years of investment. “It takes time to analyze the youth market,” he said. “It starts already with mini karting with ten-year-olds. You not only have to find them, you also have to stimulate their personality and their technical development. We are very proud of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, two products of Mercedes. We did not expect Kimi to be this strong this season. But we had seen his talent earlier.”
Read more GP Belgium: Antonelli fights his way to a new victory, Max Verstappen nicely on the podium
Read everything about the GP Belgium here
