Toto Wolff Confident Fans Will See “The Real Kimi” Antonelli in 2026

Toto Wolff believes that Kimi Antonelli will truly come into his own next season, with the Mercedes team principal confident that the young Italian will be better equipped to handle the demands of Formula 1 in his sophomore year.

Ahead of the United States Grand Prix in October, Mercedes confirmed that Antonelli and George Russell will continue as the team’s driver pairing for 2026 a season that will coincide with a major overhaul of F1’s technical regulations.

Antonelli’s rookie campaign has been a mix of highs and lows. After a promising start to 2025, the 19-year-old endured a challenging European leg before regaining momentum with a series of strong results, including fourth in Baku, fifth in Singapore, and sixth in Mexico City.

Wolff: “Next Year’s a Reset”

Reflecting on Antonelli’s development, Wolff said he expects the young driver to make a significant leap forward once he has a full season of experience under his belt.

“Kimi has a long-term future,” Wolff said after confirming Antonelli’s 2026 seat. “I think it’s very tricky to come into this generation of cars without having driven them against all of the guys that know ground-effect cars.

“Next year’s a reset. He now knows all the tracks, he knows about the media pressure and how to work within the team, so we’re going to see the real Kimi next year.”

When asked whether he believes Antonelli has the potential to become a world champion, Wolff didn’t hesitate.

“Yeah, absolutely,” he replied.

Mercedes Seeking Consistency Ahead of 2026

While Antonelli has shown flashes of brilliance, Mercedes themselves have endured an up-and-down season, with their car’s performance fluctuating dramatically between circuits.

Wolff acknowledged that the team still faces challenges in understanding their current package particularly when it comes to correlating data between the wind tunnel, simulator, and real-world performance.

“It’s so difficult to find correlation between the simulator and the wind tunnel, then you come to a track and it’s all different,” he explained. “We didn’t expect to be that competitive in Singapore [where Russell won], but we have been. It’s a bit of a surprise box with the regulations, and all the front-running teams seem to suffer from correlation issues.”

As Formula 1 prepares for its next regulatory era in 2026, both Mercedes and Antonelli will be looking to take advantage of the reset the team aiming to return to championship contention, and the young Italian hoping to prove himself as one of the sport’s brightest future stars.

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Written by

James Rees

A passionate motorsport journalist from Wales, with over 30 years of love for the sport. A dedicated father of three, working as a content manager, covering the fast-paced world of Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula E, and IndyCar.

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