Toto Wolff gives Ferrari F1 warning to Kimi Antonelli as Italy swoons over talented teenager

Mercedes

Toto Wolff gives Ferrari warning to Kimi Antonelli as Italy swoons over talented teenager

Kimi Antonelli leads the drivers' championship by 20 points

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Tuesday 12 May 2026 18:58

Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff has issued a warning about the impact of Kimi Antonelli's rise on Italian F1 fans.

Antonelli has won three grands prix in a row, and is the youngest leader of the world championship ever, at just 19 years of age.

Last time out in Miami, Antonelli vastly outperformed his much more experienced team-mate George Russell and moved 20 points clear at the top of the drivers' championship.

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It's only Antonelli's second season in the sport, but already he is the bookies' favourite to claim championship success this year amid Mercedes' dominance and his ability to outqualify Russell 3-1 so far throughout the season.

Now, Wolff has spoken out about the way in which Antonelli is 'capturing the hearts of Italians', and was asked in an interview about whether even Ferrari fans are cheering for Antonelli with the Italian-based team not doing too well.

"Kimi is 19, he’s leading the championship, he’s natural and genuine, but he also has a great personality," Wolff told Gazzetta.

"I don’t want to dampen the enthusiasm for him because I understand it, and I believe it’s unrelated to the situation at Maranello: Ferrari is like the nation of Italy itself; it has its fans who will always love the Prancing Horse, and that’s a good thing. I just think Kimi is managing to win over the hearts of Italians a little bit too, regardless of what Ferrari does or doesn’t do."

Can Antonelli bring home the championship?

Italian F1 fans are likely riding the crest of a wave at the moment, with Antonelli becoming the youngest ever driver to lead the F1 drivers' championship, and Ferrari picking up podiums in three of the four grands prix so far.

Italy has not had a serious contender for the drivers' championship arguably since Alberto Ascari won it back in 1953.

Italy has endured a long wait since Alberto Ascari.

Riccardo Patrese came a very distant second in the 1992 standings, while 1978 world champion Mario Andretti was born in Italy but was a US citizen and represented the US when racing in the sport.

Antonelli has the tools to become world champion, with Mercedes the dominant team in 2026, but time will tell as to whether he can sustain a challenge all-season long against his much more experienced team-mate George Russell, and with the Ferraris, McLarens and Red Bull closing behind.

With those three teams looking stronger, both drivers know that a poor performance in either qualifying or a race now will likely mean fighting for a top-five position, rather than the guaranteed second position that it was at the start of the season.

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F1 Ferrari Mercedes Toto Wolff Kimi Antonelli