Toto Wolff has pointed to Mercedes’ inconsistent W16 as one of the key reasons 18-year-old rookie Kimi Antonelli has struggled to adapt.

However, Wolff sees this as part of Antonelli’s ongoing evolution into eventual World Championship form.

Toto Wolff: Brilliant Kimi Antonelli held back by Mercedes challenges

Coming into the F1 2025 season, Mercedes team introduced a major change. Lewis Hamilton left the outfit after over a decade to move to Scuderia Ferrari, leaving George Russell as its most experienced driver.

For the second seat, Toto Wolff promoted Mercedes junior, Kimi Antonelli, who’d joined the programme in 2019.

The teenage Italian racer rose quickly through the karting ranks before moving on to the junior formulae. He was his first title in the 2022 Italian F4 Championship,

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