Kimi Antonelli’s FP1 debut in front of home fans at Monza did not go as planned. The Italian, on his second push-lap, lost control of his W15 and crashed into the barriers at Parabolica at 45G. However, Mercedes’ Team Principal Toto Wolff remained calm and instilled confidence in the 18-year-old driver.
“I think what we’ve seen today was we rather have a problem with slowing him down rather than making him faster,” the Austrian stated. “Because from what we’ve seen from one and a half laps is astonishing.”
Antonelli‘s running was brief, limited to just 10 minutes. Despite this, he was quicker than anyone else on the track. On soft tires, the Italian prodigy topped the leaderboard, leading by almost a second after his first lap. He was on course to set an even better time in his second run before crashing out.
Wolff suggested he would prefer a driver who takes risks and goes as fast as Antonelli did, rather than someone slow.
“We’d rather have a problem slowing him down, than making him faster” ⚡
Toto Wolff reflects on Kimi Antonelli’s BIG 45G crash in FP1 pic.twitter.com/sygWwgwPID
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) August 30, 2024
Wolff encouraged Antonelli to continue approaching driving the same way he did on Friday. However, for the Italian driver, the whole ordeal was disheartening, as it was his chance to showcase his talent behind the wheel of an F1 car to the Monza crowd and the F1 community.
Antonelli’s Mercedes announcement could be delayed
Antonelli joining Mercedes in 2025 is currently F1’s worst-kept secret, with almost all reports and sources pointing in that direction. The official announcement was initially expected to be made this weekend at Monza, but Antonelli’s crash on Friday may push the announcement to a later date.
However, in no way should this affect his chances of becoming a Mercedes driver. Team Principals in the paddock – including Fred Vasseur and James Vowles – insisted that pressure got the better of him and that he was faster than anyone else before his crash.
| Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be announced as a Mercedes driver during the Italian GP weekend.
[@autosprint] pic.twitter.com/mEtMyEO9DR
— F1_MercHub (@F1MercHub) August 7, 2024
Mercedes will be looking for the right moment to announce Antonelli’s signing, ideally after an impactful performance on the track. The 18-year-old is also competing in F2 this weekend and qualified in P6 for the Feature race.
If Antonelli makes a statement drive in F1’s feeder series, Mercedes could find the perfect opening to officially reveal him as their driver for the 2025 season.
