Photo: Mercedes-AMG F1 Team
Antonelli’s record pole proves Mercedes made the right call, says Wolff
Formula 1 2026 F1 season F1 China Andrea Kimi Antonelli Toto Wolff Mercedes
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says Kimi Antonelli’s record-breaking pole position in Shanghai confirms the team’s faith in the young Italian driver, praising his maturity and mental strength after a rapid rise in Formula 1.
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Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has praised Kimi Antonelli after the young Italian became the youngest driver in Formula 1 history to secure pole position for a Grand Prix.
The 19-year-old delivered an impressive performance in Saturday’s qualifying session for the Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit. Antonelli edged team-mate George Russell to the fastest time, while the Briton had to deal with an issue in Q3 that initially brought his car to a halt. Russell managed to return to the track for a single flying lap in the final minutes, which was still enough to secure second place on the grid.
Antonelli’s pole position means he now holds the record for the youngest polesitter in F1 history, surpassing the mark previously set by Sebastian Vettel at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix.
Wolff believes the achievement highlights the potential Mercedes saw in Antonelli when it decided to promote him to the race team for the 2025 season, replacing the departing Lewis Hamilton.
"I'm very happy for Kimi that he's broken yet another record and become the youngest polesitter. It kind of shows that decision we've taken last year, giving him a year to learn while he was still 18 is going to monetise in the future," said Wolff, as quoted by F1.com.
"You can see how he's grown and how mature he is now, how he was able to exploit the situation and put the car on pole. So I'm very happy for him and it's great validation for us," the Mercedes boss added.
The pole came only hours after Antonelli had a less successful outing in the Sprint race, where he finished fifth. According to Wolff, the way the Italian responded to that setback shows the mental strength that is becoming one of his key qualities.
"One of the things we are most impressed by is that, compared to last year, Kimi is acting with so much maturity and cold-bloodedness to issues," he explained.
"He's able to compartmentalise the debriefing, talk about what's ahead and not what's behind with a lot of confidence but no over-confidence.For a racing driver, beyond the skill of driving the car fast, that mental resilience is key and that's what Kimi is showing at the moment," Wolff concluded.
