Mercedes issue stern media warning after unwanted comparison

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has called for composure over Kimi Antonelli's media treatment, insisting he shouldn't be compared to F1 legends.

The Italian driver has enjoyed a strong start to the new F1 season with five victories in the opening seven rounds.

All of his wins came consecutively, and he currently possesses the longest win streak in F1 history by a non-champion.

Antonelli's step forward in pace comes after he endured a mixed opening campaign with Mercedes last year, particularly in the European phase of the season where he often struggled to score points.

Addressing the slump in form he endured 12 months ago, Wolff told media including RacingNews365: “I think last year… I’ll say it differently, he was 18. 

“You’re being thrown into this monster called F1 under the magnifying glass of everyone in a team that is capable of winning races, and I think the pressures are enormous. 

“It was almost like a young man in the headlights, discovering what this was all about. And then came the avalanche of interest and requests when we came back to Europe, and I think that was just too much. 

“And then it’s totally different now to come back, to know how the system functions, what is requested of you, what is it you need for yourself to perform best. 

“We are trying to shield him from media and marketing activities in the way that they protect him and to the best of our ability.”

Antonelli currently holds a 41-point lead in the drivers' championship, a margin that was significantly slashed following an unexpected retirement last Sunday in Barcelona.

As Antonelli navigates the pressure of being the title favourite, Wolff has urged the media against drawing comparisons to other world champions.

“We keep emphasising to our friends from the Italian press also, please don’t draw any comparison with Ayrton Senna or ‘Il Fenomeno’, I think Gazzetta titled that he’s won five races in a row, which is unbelievable for a young man, but we haven’t won a championship, and he’s 19,” he said.

“So I think it’s just an experience explanation that I would give it. 

“The talent was always there and that you could see through all of the karting years, the junior formulas, that he was extraordinary, and therefore we just needed to bide our time. 

“And I’ve said it many times last year, we would see moments of brilliance and moments where we would tear our hair out because of the mistakes. And this is exactly how it happened.