Toto Wolff reveals what 'scares' him about 'rough diamond' Kimi Antonelli

Toto Wolff has admitted that Kimi Antonelli making mistakes in F1 "scares" him, given the potential blowback the Italian driver could face.

The 19-year-old leads George Russell by 20 points in the F1 drivers' championship after four rounds this season, but has yet to surrender points through an error, with any moments experienced across the campaign to date of little ultimate consequence.

Having become the youngest driver — and first teenager — to ever lead an F1 title fight, the pressure is mounting on Antonelli's shoulders.

Last season, his rookie year in F1, the Mercedes driver endured a torrid spell through the European portion of the season, and with the weight of expectation reaching an apex, Wolff fears for the worst.

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Mercedes team principal reflected on Antonelli's year so far, having also become the first driver to convert his first three pole positions into victories — and consecutively, too.

"Kimi is doing an exceptional job at the start of this season," the 54-year-old said, with the records starting to rack up. "It's only his second year in F1, and he's won three races in a row.

"He deserves all the recognition he's receiving, but at the same time, we need to maintain a sense of proportion. F1 is based on consistency, not just on individual moments of success, and Kimi needs the space to grow and write his own story without too much pressure."

Across the first two rounds of his run of wins, Antonelli was handed more than a slice of luck, with his team-mate often the recipient of misfortune.

At the Miami Grand Prix, however, he outclassed Russell all weekend, sending a clear message in the process.

But the British driver has proven himself to be one of the most consistent drivers on the grid, and in a championship fight — especially a driver's first — errors occur, no matter how experienced in F1 that driver may or may not be.

"That's exactly what scares me," the Austrian replied when asked what he thinks will happen when the mistakes come.

"Kimi is young, he's charismatic, a little big star... but after a great start, he could have some bad moments, and I don't want the public to start saying, 'Oh, what's happening? We were wrong about him?'

"It will all be part of the growth process we, as a team, are ready for, but the response from the public, especially in Italy, scares us a little.

"We all want Kimi to become one of the greats of F1, but it's only the beginning, and we have to treat him like a rough diamond. The media, the fans, and even us at the team have to make this effort."