Wolff responds to 'not ready' Antonelli with 'stupid' comparison

Toto Wolff has addressed assertions made by Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli that he does not know if he will "be ready" for F1 next season.

The 17-year-old cast doubt over his own suitability to partner George Russell next year after claiming his first F2 feature race at the Hungaroring, working his way through the field in fine fashion, making use of being on the optimal tyre at the right time.

The Prema Racing driver has been linked with Lewis Hamilton's vacant Mercedes seat since before the start of his rookie campaign in the top F1 feeder category.

Antonelli skipped FIA F3 altogether, jumping straight from Formula Regional - a championship he won last season with his current team.

The Italian has embarked on a testing programme with Mercedes throughout 2024, gaining experience at Imola and the Red Bull Ring.

It is not yet known if he will ultimately step up to a F1 and a race seat with the German marque next term, but Wolff was complimentary of his protégé when asked about Antonelli's comments.

"I know that we sometimes forget - remind yourself how stupid we were at 17," the 52-year-old told media including RacingNews365. "I clearly can tell you, my lack of maturity would never [have] allowed me to take clear decisions in such a highly competitive field."

"And he's a few years from just being in karting, and then in Formula Regional, and now he's in F2, under the eyes of the world for this Mercedes seat.

"So, what I'd like to see from him is doing mistakes and learning from them. Continuing to guide the team how to improve performance for Prema, and tyre management, leading the race within the tyre [life] - and all that was done [in the F2 feature race in Hungary].

"And now we get to see if he can consolidate on that level, but in F2 it's always difficult to judge, so what we see ourselves in the data of the Formula 1 tests, that's encouraging."

Antonelli Hungary win was a 'statement'

Antonelli's triumph in Hungary was his second win in F2, after an impressive victory in the Silverstone sprint in wet conditions the round prior.

During the Saturday race in Budapest, the 17-year-old struggled to make good on an aggressive soft tyre strategy employed by Prema. 

After initially taking the lead, he fell back as his Pirellis degraded. He ultimately had to pit for fresh rubber, leaving him to finish well outside the points-paying positions.

Wolff was quick to sing Antonelli's praises, calling the Italian's "dominant win" a "statement" drive.

"Kimi did a good job [in the feature race]. That was a dominant win on two different tyre compounds," said the Mercedes team principal.

"He was really strong and it was deserved, but we have never doubted his pace. The speed is about learning in such a fast development, and it's about learning tyre management and all these things - and that's why [his victory] was a statement."