Toto Wolff says crash for Andrea Kimi Antonelli on Mercedes debut has ‘zero’ impression on Lewis Hamilton alternative choice

Toto Wolff says Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s crash on his Mercedes debut in Italian Grand Prix observe may have “zero” impression on who the group resolve to interchange Lewis Hamilton with subsequent season.

The 18-year-old Italian’s first F1 session got here to an abrupt and early finish as he misplaced management of the W15 at Parabolica throughout Practice One and shunted into the barrier.

Mercedes are anticipated to verify Antonelli in some unspecified time in the future through the weekend as George Russell’s team-mate for 2025, with Hamilton leaving to affix Ferrari.

Asked in a press convention following the session if the crash would impression his choice, Mercedes group principal Wolff mentioned: “No, zero impact.

“I think most important is to hire based on ability. An FP1 that’s gone wrong is not the reason why you decide for or against a driver.”

Wolff described Antonelli’s tempo throughout his transient time on monitor as “astonishing”. He momentarily topped the timesheet after his first lap, then set the quickest center sector on the time on his second lap simply earlier than the crash.

Asked by Sky Sports F1 if the incident had proven it was “too soon” for Antonelli, Wolff replied: “Definitely not.

“It’s great. He’s a pleasure to watch. You can see the raw speed that he has. Going out there, blasting first lap, second lap. I think the speeds that he had in the Lesmo and Ascari were not matched any more in the session.”

“I’d rather slow somebody down and calm him down than the other way around to make somebody quicker because the second one is not possible. So that’s part of the learning curve.”

No plans to carry ahead Antonelli’s subsequent F1 outing

Mercedes have been making an attempt to favor Antonelli for the step up from Formula 2 with a programme together with the testing of the group’s previous vehicles and appearances in F1 observe periods.

The basic expectation was that Antonelli would additionally seem in Mexico and Abu Dhabi, and Wolff rejected a suggestion that {the teenager}’s return to motion might be introduced ahead to be able to give him an opportunity to recover from his Monza crash.

Wolff mentioned: “No, I think a strong driver needs to recover from these things and cope with the pressure.

“Obviously, this week it wasn’t straightforward for him. He nonetheless must compete in F2. You have all these shenanigans round you in Monza, Italian child that is been hyped, first time in a Mercedes – and that should be a heavy burden.

“But if he wants to be a champion one day, he needs to cope with that. And I have no doubt that he can and he will.”

Wolff mentioned that he didn’t really feel any responsible for over-hyping Antonelli, however admitted that the Italian can be feeling “terrible” after the incident.

“I think the circumstances are guilty,” Wolff mentioned. “In our industry we perfectly understand who is capable and not.

“How it is all panned out, he is jumped F3, he is just about gained all the pieces earlier than… after which it is clear you begin to develop into a Mercedes driver, you take a look at in FP1, on the similar time you are below the magnifying glass as a result of all of it occurs in Monza and it has been some time since an Italian driver was in a high group.

“So I’m sure that this can be a lot for an 18-year-old. But I said before that he needs to swim and to take these days that are so difficult, like it is for him at the moment – it feels certainly terrible – and that’s part of the development curve.”

Brundle: Antonelli’s confidence might be broken

Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle mentioned Antonelli’s confidence can be “damaged” by the incident.

“It was the last thing he or the team needed,” Brundle mentioned. “They haven’t got any data, the car’s damaged, his confidence will be damaged.

“Mercedes wish to current him because the star of the longer term. He pushed very, very laborious early on. He’d simply gone purple within the second sector, fractionally forward of Lewis, and he was anticipating an excessive amount of, too quickly.

“Obviously got in and there was not enough grip for the speed that he was carrying.

“It’s such a disgrace. I love his confidence however he wanted to play himself in considerably extra fastidiously than that.”

Speaking earlier than Antonelli returned to motion in F2 Qualifying in a while Friday, Brundle mentioned the teenager’s response to the incident can be telling.

“If he’s, as we’re told, sort of (Michael) Schumacher, (Ayrton) Senna, Max Verstappen level, it will just bounce off,” he mentioned.

“I’ll never forget watching Michael Schumacher smash up Nelson Piquet’s Benetton, and we were like, ‘right, now we’ll see how good Michael Schumacher is.’ He got back in his own one and his next lap was the fastest of anybody, because he had that supreme inner confidence to go with his talent.

“We’ll discover out whether or not younger Antonelli is similar.”

Sky Sports F1’s reside Italian GP schedule

Saturday August 31
8.25am: F3 Sprint
11.15am: Italian GP Practice Three (session begins 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.15pm: Italian GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: ITALIAN GP QUALIFYING*
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday September 1
7:30am: F3 Feature Race
9am: F2 Feature Race
11am: Porsche Supercup
12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Italian GP build-up
2pm: The ITALIAN GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag: Italian GP response
5pm: Ted’s Notebook

*additionally reside on Sky Sports Main Event

The 2024 Formula 1 season continues with the Italian Grand Prix at Monza this weekend, reside on Sky Sports F1. Stream each F1 race and extra with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime