Toto Wolff is proud that Kimi Antonelli, the Mercedes prodigy who was under his wing for years, won the Chinese GP on Sunday. The young Italian became the second youngest race winner in the history of Formula 1. Three – former or current – Mercedes greats accompanied him on the podium; the combination of Antonelli, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington moved Wolff.
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During the cooldown lap, Toto Wolff was already singing Antonelli’s praises over the team radio. “He is too young, don’t put him in a Mercedes, look at all the mistakes he has already made,” the team principal summarized the well-known comments about Antonelli. “Well done, Kimi. Welcome to the club of Mercedes race winners.” George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and race engineer ‘Bono’ eventually completed the podium in Shanghai. According to Wolff, that created a special scene.
‘Antonelli has the look of a champion’
“Seeing that podium was probably one of the most beautiful moments I have ever experienced,” Wolff later admitted to Sky Sports. “Those three, with Bono right in the middle, that was truly an overwhelming image.” Bonnington was Hamilton’s right-hand man at Mercedes for years, but since last year he has taken charge of his successor, Antonelli. The latter has been part of the Mercedes junior team since he was 11. This makes this first victory feel extra special for Wolff.
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“I think this victory might have come even sooner than I expected,” he said honestly. “We had said beforehand that it would be a difficult year, with many highs and lows and mistakes. But then, bam, in the second race he had immediate control from pole position. He drove incredibly well and exceeds my expectations.” According to Wolff, Antonelli experienced remarkably little pressure for a 19-year-old driver. “He was actually quite calm and cheerful before the race, but on the starting grid you see that unmistakable look in his eyes; the focus of a champion.”
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