F1 has an 'AI agent' driver and he's about to become the youngest world champion ever

Kimi Antonelli

F1 has an 'AI agent' driver and he's about to become the youngest world champion ever

We've seen AI drivers, and they're not that good!

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Thursday 10 September 2026 09:45

Make us your Google favorite

Toto Wolff has compared 20-year-old championship leader Kimi Antonelli to an AI agent as he continues to grow as a driver.

Sunday saw Antonelli take the best win of his young career at the Italian Grand Prix, racing up from 19th on the grid to hunt down his team-mate George Russell in the dying laps to take a famous victory at his home race.

The Italian youngster has only started 37 races at the top level of the sport, but has adapted faster than expected after an up-and-down rookie season and has outdriven his more experienced team-mate George Russell to sit 66 points clear at the top of the drivers' standings.

Article continues under video

His team principal Wolff attributed some of his rapid improvement to his age, with 'the ability cognitively, intellectually to constantly become better', but admitted he's still shocked by just how much the 20-year-old soaks up.

F1 HEADLINES: Ferrari confirm Monza inquest as Lewis Hamilton puts his boss on the hotseat

Wolff: Nobody saw Antonelli season coming

"He came out after the winter, out of the blocks in a way that no one saw coming,” Wolff said after the race.

“The ability, how he processed last year. He's been at all the races.

"He's seen the pressure of the media, the attention that he gets. It's in a way that the system has been processed and saved. And that's why [he's had] the results that we've seen afterwards.

“But it is still surprising and amazing to see how quickly he develops. For me, it's like an AI agent that continuously self-improves and learns. That's the speed. Also his age is for sure beneficial. The ability cognitively, intellectually to constantly become better.”

Mercedes boss reveals 'terrible' time in Antonelli rookie season

Wolff also spoke about Antonelli's trickier moments in his rookie season, saying: “Last year was according to plan. I've said there are going to be moments of brilliance, difficult moments.

“I think he started the season at a time when he found himself like a deer in the headlights. In his zone, in the car, extraordinary performances already, but not continuous.

“Then he had this negative spell where he made over nine races without scoring points [Note: Antonelli's longest run of grands prix without a points finish was three]. I remember Spa was terrible for him and he was feeling down. Monza was the point where I for the first time said to him, 'listen, you've got to wake up here'. But never doubting. That's why we gave him the opportunity.”

Toto Wolff says he never doubted Antonelli.

Now Antonelli is hot favourite to claim the 2026 title, and become the sport's youngest ever world champion by some distance. The current list looks like this:

Driver	Age	Year	Team
Sebastian Vettel	23 years, 133 days	2010	Red Bull
Lewis Hamilton	23 years, 300 days	2008	McLaren
Fernando Alonso	24 years, 57 days	2005	Renault
Max Verstappen	24 years, 73 days	2021	Red Bull
Emerson Fittipaldi	25 years, 273 days	1972	Lotus