Mercedes boss Wolff says long future for ‘cucumber cool’ Antonelli

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has expressed confidence that young Italian driver Kimi Antonelli could dominate Formula One for at least the next two decades. Following Antonelli's eighth victory of the season at the Spanish Grand Prix, Wolff was impressed by the 20-year-old's unique combination of raw talent and mature composure.

W Wolff, who previously oversaw Lewis Hamilton's and Nico Rosberg's championship-winning seasons, had previously predicted that Antonelli would "walk on water" to win the Italian Grand Prix from a lowly 19th starting position. However, the young Italian's outstanding performance in Madrid solidified Wolff's belief that the young driver could remain at the pinnacle of the sport for an extended period.

In his assessment, Wolff noted that Antonelli's youth appears to be an advantage, stating, "He gets in the car and just drives. I feel his youth helps him a lot there. He's 20. He could probably stay in the sport for 20 years." The Mercedes boss also suggested that Antonelli's natural "cool" or cucumber-like composure is a genetic trait that sets him apart from his peers.

Despite Mercedes' 145-point lead over Ferrari in the teams' title race, Wolff emphasized that the team remained focused on continuous improvement. He stated, "As a team we've made good steps forward. We don't want to take our foot off the throttle and be complacent and party too early. This is motor racing. It's a mechanical sport. Things can fail and we don't look at the points."