Wolff is happy for Antonelli, but be careful about comparisons: “In Italy they compare him to Senna, I don’t like him”

The surprise Kimi Antonelli Raise your hand if, at the start of the season, you would have bet even just one euro on the fact that Andrea Kimi Antonelli – who had certainly shown something interesting in his debut World Championship, but also encountered quite a few difficulties – would have completed the hat-trick of opening races in command of the general classification. If there is anyone who, at least, would have bet more than one euro on it, it is undoubtedly Toto Wolff: the Mercedes team principal, indeed, experienced the choice to replace a legend of the caliber of Lewis Hamilton with a rookie just over 18 years old as a personal challenge. It is inevitable, therefore, that the Austrian manager now enjoys the bet he has won so far. Toto Wolff speaks Wolff spoke about it during a video press conference organized in recent days, praising Antonelli’s attitude, but also trying – as he has done since the day of the official announcement – to lower the level of expectations and pressure, given that there are already those who compare him (even for a banally aesthetic question) to the three-time F1 world champion, Ayrton Senna: “As for Kimi, we have always been very clear about our objectives, about the fact that we envisaged a first year of apprenticeship, characterized by excellent performances and positive moments, but also by others of difficulty. And that is exactly what we have seen. Now we are in the second year and he continues to grow just as we hoped and predicted.” “Naturally in Italy everyone wants to talk about world championships – adds Toto Wolff speaking of his protégé, quoted by the Reuters news agency – and comparisons with Ayrton Senna come out. It’s not something I’m happy to read, because we shouldn’t forget that he’s 19 years old. In any case, he handles pressure very well. he said. In the team there are moments in which we support him while, at other times, we too practice a little more ⁠pressure on Kimi Antonelli overall everything is going as expected.”