Leading the championship with a 50-point lead, Kimi Antonelli impresses. But Toto Wolff already refuses to consider him the big favorite for the world title.
Read more Isack Hadjar sets his next goal at Red Bull after a promising start
Kimi Antonelli enters the summer break in an ideal position. Thanks to a remarkable start to the season, the Mercedes driver already has six wins and holds a comfortable 50-point lead in the World Drivers’ Championship.
Despite this favorable situation, Toto Wolff prefers to keep his feet on the ground. The Mercedes director believes it is still far too early to draw any conclusions in a season that remains long and full of uncertainties.
“I am superstitious”
When asked about his young driver’s chances of winning his first world title, Wolff was particularly cautious.
“It’s way too early to say. I am superstitious.”
The Mercedes boss reminds that a 50-point lead can quickly melt away over the remaining Grands Prix.
“Even with a 50-point lead, there are still many races left. One or two retirements can completely change the situation.”
A warning that also reflects the caution of the German team, determined not to relax its efforts before the end of the season.
A spectacular progression
After a first learning campaign in 2025, where he was often dominated by George Russell, Antonelli has made an impressive step forward this year.
Read more Bradley Lord: Mercedes remains cautious despite an almost perfect start to the season
The young Italian quickly established himself as Mercedes’ leader, also benefiting from a more complicated season for his British teammate, who was repeatedly hampered by reliability issues and bad luck.
Thanks to this consistency, Antonelli has built a solid lead in the drivers’ championship, while Mercedes also dominates the constructors’ standings.
Reliability remains the main weakness
While Mercedes has been the benchmark in terms of performance since the start of the new technical regulations, Toto Wolff knows that not everything is perfect.
The Austrian notably points out the reliability problems encountered by his two drivers during the first half of the season, an area in which the team must absolutely improve.
“We have not been flawless in terms of reliability.”
The Mercedes boss stresses the need to continue optimizing every race weekend.
“We just have to keep maximizing every day, from Friday to Sunday. With a bit of luck, that might be enough at the end of the season.”
Despite an ideal position in the championship, Mercedes therefore refuses any overconfidence. With many rounds still to be contested, Toto Wolff prefers to remain cautious, aware that the slightest mechanical failure or a simple retirement could completely reignite the fight for the world title.
Read more Audi explains the freeze on the development of its engine until 2027: a voluntary pause