Toto Wolff knew Kimi Antonelli would have him 'tearing his hair out' this season

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has explained that affording Kimi Antonelli "a year of learning" would result in the rollercoaster campaign the teenager is currently experiencing in F1.

After being thrown into the deep end as the replacement for seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, Antonelli set off on the right foot by scoring solid points in five of his first six races.

Since F1 embarked on its European season, however, the 19-year-old Italian has endured a wretched run, scoring just one point from eight races, punctuated only by his superb maiden podium in Canada.

In Sunday's Dutch Grand Prix, Antonelli hit his nadir for the year, collecting 15 seconds of penalties after crashing into Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and sending the Monégasque out of the race, and then speeding in the pit lane in making a stop for fresh tyres after a safety car was summoned.

Asked of Wolff whether Antonelli, who also crashed out in first practice, needed a reset, the Austrian knew this year would be one of highs and lows.

"At the beginning of the year, when we made it clear last year in Monza that we would give him the opportunity, it was also saying that we would give him a year of learning," said Wolff, speaking to the media, including RacingNews365.

"That there would be moments where we tear our hair out, and there would be other moments of brilliance, and I think the weekend [at Zandvoort] pretty much summed that up.

"The mistake in FP1 is clearly something that puts you on the back foot for the whole of the weekend.

"And then in the race, [there were] these moments of great driving, moments when he was in free air, behind the McLaren, the quickest car, caught up and then he was involved in that accident.

"It, unfortunately, meant the end for Charles' race and also for Kim's race, but we want him to go for the moves, obviously.

"So ups and downs, which I absolutely expected from him this season, and every one of those days is going to be a learning [experience] for next year.

"We're not fighting for a constructors' championship. Of course, it's P2 and P3 that are at stake, but this has less relevance than next year when it's important to score the points."