Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff on 2 November 2026 delivered an emotional tribute to Kimi Antonelli after the 20-year-old Italian claimed the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship at the Mexico Grand Prix, becoming the youngest-ever F1 champion in the sport's history. Wolff, speaking to Sky Sports F1 from Mexico City, recalled the fierce criticism the team and the driver endured before this defining moment.

From Junior Karting to World Champion

Antonelli's path to the title was anything but smooth. Brought in as the direct replacement for seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton — who departed for Ferrari — the Bologna-born teenager was thrust into the most scrutinised seat on the grid alongside George Russell. Wolff recalled watching Antonelli at 11 years old in a junior karting garage, noting how the journey from there to a world title has felt almost surreal.

'It's incredible; we have to pinch ourselves because it seems like yesterday he was 11 years old in the garage in junior karting. And it goes so fast,' Wolff said.

The Difficult 2025 Season and the Calls to Drop Him

Antonelli's 2025 rookie season was turbulent: he finished seventh in the Drivers' Championship, failed to score points in 10 races, and endured a particularly painful retirement at Spa. Pressure mounted publicly, with critics and reportedly even commercial partners questioning the decision to place him at Mercedes so early.

Wolff revealed the commercial cost of his conviction: 'I was thinking before, we had two sponsors leaving us because of that — because who is this kid?' Yet the team held firm. 'People said he shouldn't even be in F1; he should be at a smaller team, 10 races and no points, the tears in Spa, and then this. I'm just so proud of the team; all of them continued to trust him, and he delivered,' Wolff added.

A Title Won at Mexico City

Antonelli sealed the championship with a third-place finish at the Mexico Grand Prix in Mexico City. The result was enough to clinch the title mathematically, confirming his place in the record books. At 20 years of age, he surpasses all previous records for the youngest driver to win the Drivers' Championship.

Wolff stressed that placing Antonelli in the car after Hamilton's departure 'was always a calculated risk, not a real risk' — a distinction he was keen to make with the benefit of hindsight now confirmed by results.

How Antonelli Changed Mercedes' Culture

Beyond the points tally, Wolff painted a vivid picture of the cultural shift the young Italian brought to the traditionally reserved, British-dominated Mercedes garage. 'He obviously has a very winning way in the team. We're dealing with very stiff, unemotional English people,' Wolff told Sky Sports F1.

'So then comes this Italian boy that starts to hug everyone in the garage, and you can see how it changed the environment, and now all the Brits are hugging each other, which is weird to see,' he added.

Wolff also highlighted the disarming contrast between Antonelli's on-track maturity and his off-track personality: the champion celebrated his birthday at a waterpark with friends. 'I was like, 'where's Kimi I need to speak with him?' Kimi's at the waterpark with his friends. We love that,' the Austrian said.

What Comes Next for Antonelli and Mercedes

With a world title at 20, Antonelli enters 2027 as the reigning champion and one of the most marketable drivers in the sport. For Mercedes, the vindication of their succession plan — betting on youth over established names — will likely reshape how top teams approach driver development in the coming seasons. Wolff's patience, tested through two lost sponsors and a year of public doubt, has produced the sport's newest and youngest world champion.