Antonelli secures Mercedes position despite pressure from Wolff.

      "Formula 1 is extremely transient"

      25 September 2025 - 11:49

      Ralf Schumacher believes that Kimi Antonelli may have secured his future with Mercedes in Baku, where the 19-year-old answered criticism with a commendable P4 finish, even as teammate George Russell achieved a podium. Prior to the race weekend, Toto Wolff had openly labeled Antonelli’s performance at Monza as "disappointing" and "underwhelming," which sparked speculation that Mercedes might reconsider Carlos Sainz as a potential option for 2026. However, Schumacher told Sky Deutschland that the Italian rookie’s recovery in Baku alleviated those concerns. "Formula 1 is very short-lived. Kimi Antonelli had a significant weekend in Baku, enhancing his public image. This result was also crucial internally for Mercedes," he stated. "Both Kimi and Toto were under pressure. Toto chose Kimi to take over the cockpit after Lewis Hamilton, so if the driver he recommended to the shareholders underperformed, they'd question, 'What do we do now?' Ultimately, it’s costly, and there's also the Constructors’ Championship to think about. That's why Baku was vital for Mercedes." The German added, "Kimi had a solid weekend. He can build on that. So I don't think the opportunity for Carlos Sainz will arise again." Sainz confirmed to Sky Italia that he had discussions with Wolff last year before signing with Williams. "We had many conversations with Mercedes and others during that time, and I was certainly one of the options considered. But how close I was, you can ask Toto," the Spaniard remarked. Regarding the recent speculation, Sainz maintained, "I have a contract with Williams, and Toto hasn’t reached out to me." Meanwhile, Wolff is closely monitoring Max Verstappen, whose consecutive poles and wins at Monza and Baku have narrowed McLaren’s title lead. "Max has been performing well," said the Austrian. "The car is performing well. With Max Verstappen, you always need to be cautious about what he can achieve, especially now that it’s feasible again," Wolff cautioned. "Everything needs to go well for him, but we witnessed in Baku that a DNF for the championship leader opens the door for Max to score 25 points. The situation can change rapidly."