Wolff is correct in continuing to support Antonelli.
"I don't see any reason against continuing."
Toto Wolff has clearly indicated that Mercedes will indeed move forward with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli as they enter the new era of Formula 1 regulations. With Max Verstappen remaining with Red Bull, Wolff nearly confirmed his team's driver lineup for the 2026 season following the Dutch GP. "The driver lineup for the 2026 season will certainly be confirmed as it is," he told Sky Deutschland.
"I don't see any reason not to keep working with either of the drivers—they are performing well. I think George is outperforming what the car is capable of in most races. Antonelli just needs to regain his confidence. He definitely has the speed, so it will be fine."
Antonelli, 19, experienced another challenging weekend, ultimately colliding with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and receiving a 10-second penalty, followed by an additional 5 seconds for speeding in the pitlane. Nevertheless, team principal and personal mentor Wolff continues to support the rookie. Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher agrees that Wolff's approach is appropriate.
"That’s exactly how it should be," he told Sky Deutschland. "When you offer a young driver such an opportunity, after he has progressed through all these junior categories, he needs time when he arrives here. It's fantastic that they are supporting him.
"His speed is definitely present, but he certainly has to work on it."
Antonelli himself took accountability late on Sunday. "That was certainly my fault," he acknowledged. "I caused it, and there's no excuse for it. It’s not a pleasant feeling to take an opponent out of the race."
Wolff, however, dismissed this latest error as a part of the learning experience. "We want a quick driver who learns and scores points, but all good drivers make mistakes," he stated.
When asked if Antonelli's tumultuous early career resembles the mistakes made by Max Verstappen at a young age, Wolff replied, "It’s difficult to compare with Max (Verstappen) since Max was in a different situation at Toro Rosso. Kimi is 19 years old in a massive team like Mercedes. He will make mistakes. Hopefully, next year there will be fewer errors and more points.
"But I believe in him 100 percent for the long term. This is simply part of the learning process."
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