Mercedes outclassed in Italy as young driver suffers difficult F1 debut

The 2025 Italian Grand Prix left Toto Wolff with more questions than answers about his team's performance. Rookie Kimi Antonelli, just 19 years old, finished eighth at the Monza track, but a five-second penalty for forcing Alex Albon off the track relegated him to ninth place. His teammate George Russell finished fifth, leaving Mercedes far from the podium and showing that the team is still struggling to catch up with Red Bull and McLaren.

Wolff did not hold back when analyzing Antonelli's performance: “He made too many mistakes over the weekend. He just needs to put together a solid weekend to be able to compete head-to-head with Leclerc and George.”

A weekend full of setbacks

The young Italian started his first full Grand Prix with enthusiasm, but the pressure and lack of experience quickly took their toll. During free practice, Antonelli had an incident at Lesmo that caused a red flag and left him with fewer laps to adapt to the car. In the race, the collision with Albon confirmed that learning in F1 is not easy: “It was unnecessary. Albon was much faster; there were other ways to defend himself without losing time,” said Wolff.

Mercedes far from the podium

While Verstappen dominated from start to finish and McLaren set the pace behind him, Mercedes was caught up in the battle for fourth and fifth place. Wolff admitted that the car did not allow them to be consistently competitive: “A fifth and an eighth place are not satisfactory. With the current car, we cannot consistently be on the podium.”

Antonelli, aware of the mistakes made, was reflective: “It's my first full weekend and there are many things I need to learn. I made mistakes, but I know what I need to improve on.”

Wolff keeps the hope alive

Despite the frustration, Wolff still believes in the young driver's talent: "We decided to give him this chance knowing it would be a challenging journey. We must allow him to grow and learn from his mistakes." The Mercedes director recalled Antonelli's career in karting and junior categories as proof of his potential: speed, consistency, and hunger for success are there, they just need to translate into performance in F1.

With Monza now in the rearview mirror, the pressure shifts to the upcoming races. The question is clear: will Antonelli be able to convert his talent into solid results, or will setbacks continue to mar his promising career? In the meantime, Wolff and Mercedes will have to manage the youngster's patience and learning curve, hoping that their faith will not be in vain.