Toto Wolff identifies two 'superb' Kimi Antonelli qualities from F1 debut

Toto Wolff has lauded rookie driver Kimi Antonelli after his strong performance on F1 debut at the 2025 curtain-raising Australian Grand Prix.

The Mercedes team principal singled out two main areas in particular, labelling the 18-year-old's race pace "impressive" as well as highlighting his "superb" overtaking during the round at Albert Park.

Having started the grand prix in Melbourne on the back foot, after a mistake in qualifying damaged his W16 and prevented him getting out of Q1, Antonelli quickly rose through the order as those ahead of him - particularly his fellow rookies - faltered.

He avoided the "killer" white lines, as he called them, to position himself on the outer reaches of the points before his team's strategy nous vaulted him into the top five during the rain chaos with a dozen laps left to run.

Whilst he had already pulled off some strong overtaking manoeuvres, his late-race move on Alex Albon for fourth - where he ultimately finished - was particularly assured.

It was the best rookie debut result in over a decade, since Kevin Magnussen claimed a podium at the same circuit in 2014, and put the F1 paddock on even more on notice over the already highly-touted driver.

As for Wolff, the 53-year-old was quick to point how Antonelli "handled everything that was thrown at him" under particularly challenging circumstances.

"For Kimi, he could not have asked for a more difficult task on his grand prix debut: starting out of position, facing extremely difficult conditions and, at times, a treacherous track," the Austrian said.
 
"Nevertheless, he handled everything that was thrown at him with a maturity beyond his years.

"His speed when in free air was impressive and his confidence and decisiveness when overtaking were superb.

"There will be challenging moments for him across the season, but we are pleased with the trajectory we are seeing from him already. P4 was a just reward."