Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has cautioned that Andrea Kimi Antonelli might not begin to reach his peak level in Formula 1 until 2030 at the earliest.
Antonelli endured a mixed rookie campaign in 2025, with a disastrous run across the European stretch sandwiching a strong opening and end to the season.
The Italian’s inconsistency saw him end up 169 points behind his experienced team-mate George Russell, who headed Mercedes’ run to an eventual second.
However, Wolff lavished praise on Antonelli’s debut season, commenting that his protege “stood his ground among the cannibals” with two podiums in 2025.
And while he opted to retain Antonelli alongside Russell, Wolff is aware that there will be more low points to come until the 19-year-old is the finished product.
“When do we expect him to peak? Three, five years from now,” he told the Beyond the Grid podcast. “And that’s the time we need to give him.”
Pressed on what Antonelli still has to learn, Wolff assessed: “I think he knows a lot about this sport because that’s what he lives and breathes every day.
“But there is the human component that you need to mature as a young man, cope with the dynamics and pressure of this environment.
“But I mean, no doubt that this is going in the right direction.”
Meanwhile, Mercedes engine chief Hywel Thomas believes that Antonelli’s getting a season under his belt in 2025 was worthwhile despite the change in regulations.
“I think what we know and what we’ve seen in the simulators is that next year is going to be different driving than this year,” Thomas explained.
“There’s a lot to take in. There’s a lot of new stuff to do. So I think it would be extraordinary difficult for someone to step into that as their first year.
“So I’m pleased that he’s done a year this year, definitely pleased that he knows the team, is part of the team.
“You know, he’s been up to Brixworth [where Mercedes’ engine department is based] plenty of times.
“We’ve been going through all the technical stuff that’s going to be changing. He’s having his input in there. So I’m super pleased that he’s been racing this year.”
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