The Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, has described his Formula One world champion Kimi Antonelli as a new kind of racing driver who represents the future of the sport, comparing him scathingly to what he called some of the entitled moaners on the grid and declaring “selfless, ruthless” drivers now dead to F1.
Antonelli secured his first world championship in Mexico City on Sunday, completing an extraordinary achievement in becoming, at 20 years old, the youngest F1 champion in only his second season in the sport. The Italian’s attitude, enthusiasm and sense of fair play have been notable in what was a revelatory season for a driver so young and Wolff believed he had proved to be a gamechanger in more ways than one.
“This notion of win at all costs, selfish, opportunistic, ruthless for your own benefit, that model of racing driver has died. We have a new champion that represents values,” Wolff said. “Humility, integrity, loyalty, respect. Being himself. He should be a role model for many other young drivers.
“He should be a role model for the few entitled ones in Formula One. The endless moaners on the radio. The ones that complain, the ones that crash. Look at this kid of 20 years and then think what you can do in order to improve. That’s the message to these kids.”
Wolff did not name the targets of his ire but his comments will be lost on no one and clearly he believes Antonelli, who has been with Mercedes since he was 12, is an excellent role model.
Antonelli sealed the title with his third place in Mexico, after a season where he has been on top throughout but has driven clean. Fellow world champions including Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris offered similar plaudits to the young driver who has bested them and his Mercedes teammate, George Russell, roundly beaten by the Italian this year, has acknowledged his honest and fair approach to racing.
Wolff went further in stating that the most senior figures in the sport felt Antonelli embodied what they wanted in F1 drivers, including the chief executive of F1, Stefano Domenicali, and the president of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
“That is how the FIA, that Mohammed, that Stefano, that I would want to see racing drivers in the future,” Wolff added. “That is modern Formula One. Kimi represents the modern Formula One driver, because of those values, not only because of his talent. The talent is there with everyone. But you got to be a good person too and he has demonstrated that you can beat everyone out there by being a good person.”
Before Wolff had brought the subject up in Mexico, Antonelli had already expressed his desire to retain his sense of self, even as world champion. Now entitled to put the No 1 on his car next season, he said he would instead retain his current No 12. Antonelli chose it because of his admiration for Ayrton Senna who used it early in his career with Lotus between 1985 and 1987 and when he claimed his first title in 1988 for McLaren.
“I’ll stay with No 12 because obviously it’s a very special number for me but also it’s a way for me to stay grounded, to stay humble,” Antonelli said when asked if he would adopt the champion’s No 1. “I feel like by keeping No 12, it allows me to have a new point where to start and build on everything again and try to improve.”
After what was clearly a hugely moving experience in taking the title Antonelli, was raised aloft on the podium after the race by Verstappen and Hamilton, two greats of the sport who finished in first and second in Mexico, which the 20-year-old said he would treasure and immortalise.
“I will definitely frame that picture and put it in my house,” he said. “It’s just an incredible moment. To see so much respect from two incredible drivers in the history of the sport is truly special that will live and will always be remembered.”
