Toto Wolff makes Mercedes demand to counter 'bigger problem' for Kimi Antonelli

Toto Wolff is adamant that Mercedes must "keep the handbrake on" the mounting demands for Kimi Antonelli's time, as the Italian teenager's sensational recent performances trigger an explosion of interest from his homeland.

The 19-year-old has stormed to three consecutive pole positions and grand prix victories, establishing a 20-point advantage over team-mate George Russell in the F1 drivers' title fight.

After the Japanese Grand Prix, he became the youngest driver to top the F1 standings and the first teenager to do so since the championship began in 1950.

At the subsequent round in Miami, he reached the same plane as Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher by taking his first three pole positions consecutively. He followed that up by becoming the first driver to convert those into victories in the grand prix.

But whilst Antonelli's record-breaking form has thrust him into the spotlight, Wolff has identified the Italian public as the "bigger problem" when it comes to managing the hype around his young driver, a subject the Austrian has been forthright in tackling so far this year.

"I think the easier bit is making sure that he keeps both feet on the ground here in the team," Wolff told media, including RacingNews365. "His parents have played a big part in that, to keep him grounded."

The Mercedes team principal pointed to Italy's sporting landscape as the source of mounting pressure on Antonelli's time.

The absence of Italy's national football team from the 2026 World Cup is a crushing blow for the country's sports fans, as the four-time world champions failed to secure qualification for the tournament and have not won a World Cup knock-out game since lifting the trophy against France in the 2006 final, just a month before Antonelli was born.

In need of new heroes to rally behind, tennis player Jannik Sinner has emerged as Italy's brightest sporting star following his breakthrough victories at multiple Grand Slam tournaments, and now Antonelli, whose meteoric rise in F1 has captured the nation's imagination.

"The bigger problem is the Italian public. Now that they are not qualified for the football [the 2026 World Cup], it's all about [Jannik] Sinner and Antonelli and Antonelli and Sinner," Wolff explained.

"And I think Sinner won in Madrid, so it's the two that are superstars, and that is something which we need to contain."

With Antonelli's stock rising rapidly following his recent hat-trick of victories, Wolff has emphasised the need for Mercedes to protect their driver from the avalanche of attention, something that was his undoing at last season's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, when he became burned out over the course of the weekend.

"There are so many requests for his time, from the media, from sponsors, and it's on us to keep the handbrake on that," Wolff said.