Toto Wolff reveals severe Kimi Antonelli damage after surprise Chinese GP 'win'

Toto Wolff has praised the mentality of Kimi Antonelli after the teenager suffered "extensive" damage to his Mercedes in the Chinese Grand Prix.

From a first top-10 start, Antonelli finished eighth at the chequered flag. He was later promoted to sixth after the disqualifications of Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

It means Antonelli has finished his first two grands prix in the top six, following a fourth in Australia. He sits fifth in the drivers' standings on 22 points following a seventh-place finish in the Shanghai sprint.

Reflecting on the Italian's race, Wolff praised Antonelli's approach to driving around the severe damage he sustained.

"Kimi had extensive floor damage," Wolff revealed to media including RacingNews365. 

"We don't actually know why, whether he ran over Charles' [Leclerc] end-plate, but he had massive holes in the floor and titanium streaks that were gone. 

"So considering that he had a car that was severely impaired, finishing eighth, holding onto it, and not complaining, just getting on with the job shows the potential and the maturity the young man has."

Speaking additionally to Sky DE, Wolff estimated the damage cost Antonelli up to half a second per lap.

The Austrian also spoke of Antonelli's surprising victory as 'Driver of the Day'. 

"He was also the driver of the car, so you see where the fan demographic is going," assessed Wolff. "That is something important in Formula 1 that we remind ourselves of."