Wolff defends Antonelli: 'Verstappen also made mistakes'

Andrea Kimi Antonelli collided with Charles Leclerc following the Ferrari driver’s pit stop, but Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff defended his protégé, drawing comparisons to Max Verstappen.

Antonelli attempted to overtake Leclerc after pitting earlier than the Monegasque, which left him right behind the Ferrari driver. At the Hugenholtz curve, Antonelli’s overtaking attempt resulted in contact with the eight-time Grand Prix winner, forcing Leclerc to retire from the race.

Wolff compares Antonelli to Verstappen

Antonelli himself was able to continue, but not without damage and penalties. Speaking to the media, including GPblog, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff addressed the question of whether the Italian would still be able to handle the pressure that comes with racing in F1  next year: “No, you know, we want to have a driver that has speed, that is fast, that learns, that scores the points, but all the big ones make mistakes."

“It's difficult to compare now, because Max was given a different environment in Toro Rosso at the beginning, but there were also some moments where you said there was a big mistake. And Kimi, 18 years old, thrown in this mammoth of a team, representing Mercedes, he's going to make mistakes. Hopefully, fewer mistakes next year and score bigger points. But my 100 % belief is in him in the long term. And that is just part of the learning.” Wolff concluded.