Toto Wolff has insisted that Mercedes will not repeat the error of exposing Andrea Kimi Antonelli to too many off-track distractions at Imola – which left him “toast” long before the Formula 1 race had even started.
Bologna-born Antonelli endured his most difficult week since joining Mercedes in front of his home fans, as the rookie qualified 13th before retiring from the race with a throttle issue.
In the aftermath of the grand prix, Antonelli admitted he “didn’t manage the energy that well” as he was swarmed by family, friends and well-wishers, something that “definitely compromised the performance on track”.
It is the second time he has flattered to deceive in front of an expectant home crowd, having crashed out of FP1 in Monza last year on what was his first outing in an F1 car.
Wolff was absent from Imola as he attended his son’s graduation ceremony in the United States and said it left him feeling “detached” from the Mercedes team on the ground – although he revealed he had spoken to Antonelli.
“I think this is a learning process,” Wolff said when asked by Motorsport.com about his protege.
Toto Wolff, Mercedes
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
“I think we concluded last year that we made a mistake in maybe exposing him in Monza in his first ever running in FP1 to the local crowds, and he wanted to perform particularly well.
“I think that Imola was probably the perfect storm because it’s where he lives, it’s his home track, school, family, local football club. All the people that helped throughout his career, everybody wanted to have a little bit of Kimi and even as early as Friday, he was just toast.
“I spoke to him on Saturday, and he said ‘I’m out of energy’ and all of this. It’s clear he’s so young. He wants to say thank you to everyone that participated. He doesn’t want to be unfriendly to friends, family, fans, all of them.
“The guidance I gave to him [is], at a certain stage, you need to be [unfriendly]. You need to protect yourself. Hide yourself in your room, in the engineering room on the Sunday, and everything else just comes second. And I think all of us together, the family, we realised that that was too much, and that is a mistake we will not repeat.”
Other than his disappointment at Imola, Antonelli has enjoyed a fine start to life at Mercedes, taking 48 points from the opening seven rounds and becoming the youngest polesitter in any format of F1 when he started first in the Miami sprint race.
Looking ahead to Monaco, Wolff is keen for the 18-year-old to ease himself into experiencing the circuit’s tight and twisty corners as an F1 driver for the first time.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images via Getty Images
“I think you need to have realistic expectations. Driving the car here fast needs experience,” added Wolff, after Antonelli finished 11th in first practice.
“I think he started the weekend very well in building up in the right way, not making too many mistakes.
“He clipped the inside of the barrier, but that wasn’t hugely damaging for the car. And then slowly continuing to find his limits. I think laps are important to put them in and just make him learn.
“But I have no doubt that tomorrow by qualifying, he’s going to be dialled in. Obviously, never on the level of the really more senior drivers that know the way around here blind.”
In this article
Mark Mann-Bryans
Formula 1
Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes
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