‘Kimi Antonelli isn’t Ayrton Senna yet, but he may be a Senninha’ – Toto Wolff
To this day, Ayrton Senna remains the last Brazilian Formula 1 driver to have won the world championship. But as a new generation of Auriverde racers finally emerges, they’re not the ones drawing comparisons to the country’s legend. Kimi Antonelli’s spectacular drives this season – and, more superficially, his curly brown hair – have earned him such plaudits, especially after he won ... Keep…
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has revealed that Ferrari believes their former driver, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, would not have survived in other teams. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Wolff admitted that the young driver faced a challenging period during his 2025 rookie campaign, with a particularly tough stretch involving nine races without any points scored in the previous year.
Despite the criticism and questions from the outside, Wolff and his team at Mercedes remained steadfast in their support for Antonelli. They trusted their data and the potential they saw in him, rather than succumbing to the outside noise. This unwavering belief in their prodigy ultimately paid off when Antonelli clinched the world championship in Mexico City.
Wolff's decision to give Antonelli a chance not only saved the young talent from being discarded by the demanding F1 machine but also led to the creation of the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history.
Written by urgent.news from Motorsport.com's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
