Toto Wolff praises ‘mature’ Kimi Antonelli after he becomes youngest Grand Prix polesitter in F1 history

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has praised Kimi Antonelli for the way he has grown and matured after the Italian became the youngest driver ever to claim pole position for an F1 Grand Prix.

The 19-year-old beat team mate George Russell to the top spot in Saturday’s Qualifying in Shanghai, with the Briton suffering an issue that initially brought him to a halt in Q3, though he did salvage second on his one and only flying effort of the final segment. In doing so, Antonelli broke the record for the youngest Grand Prix polesitter which was previously held by Sebastian Vettel at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix.

Wolff was quick to praise his driver as he prepares to make just his 26th Grand Prix start in Sunday’s 56-lap race at the Shanghai International Circuit, and indicated that the decision to put him into a Silver Arrows seat for the 2025 season – in place of the departing Lewis Hamilton – had been worth it.

“I’m very happy for Kimi that he’s broken yet another record and become the youngest polesitter,” he told F1.com. “It kind of shows that decision we’ve taken last year, giving him a year to learn while he was still 18 is going to monetise in the future.

“You can see how he’s grown and how mature he is now, how he was able to exploit the situation and put the car on pole. So [I’m] very happy for him and [it’s] great validation for us.”

When asked if Antonelli was showcasing his mental strength, having had a disappointing Sprint on Saturday as he finished fifth, the Mercedes boss explained where the young Italian was impressing the Silver Arrows most.

“One of the things we are most impressed by is that, compared to last year, Kimi is acting with so much maturity and cold-bloodedness to issues,” he explained. “He’s able to compartmentalise the debriefing, talk about what’s ahead and not what’s behind with a lot of confidence but no over-confidence.

“For a racing driver, beyond the skill of driving the car fast, that mental resilience is key and that’s what Kimi is showing at the moment.”

With Antonelli’s team mate Russell shining already this season, winning both the season-opening Grand Prix in Australia as well as the China Sprint, the Briton is as good a marker as there is for any young driver working alongside him.

While his issue in Qualifying hampered the Briton’s bid for pole, Antonelli was there to capitalise but Wolff emphasised how important it is for the Italian to learn from someone like Russell, who is now into his eighth F1 season.

“I think when you’re lucky enough as a young driver to have a team mate that goes fast and knows what he is talking about like Kimi, then it’s always beneficial,” said Wolff. “When you’re a young driver it’s always beneficial to have a team mate that is fast, is a good benchmark and at the same time is a team player.

“Obviously everyone is out there on their own and the first competitor is the one on the other side, but I think it’s always advantageous to have that kind of situation. It’s the same way it was for George when Lewis was around.”

Antonelli will start from pole, ahead of his team mate, when the lights go out for Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix at 1500 local time.