Wolff's comments regarding Antonelli suggest that it is 'too early' to bring him up.
"We can discuss the championship in Abu Dhabi"
Toto Wolff has requested that the media temper the increasing championship excitement surrounding Kimi Antonelli, even though the young talent is already being viewed as an early contender for the title. The 19-year-old Mercedes driver is currently atop the leaderboard after three races, but Wolff emphasizes that it is premature to engage in discussions about a title battle. "Now they’re going to ask him about the championship in press conferences, which they shouldn’t be doing," he stated. "He has two wins, but with 19 races remaining, there’s ample opportunity to win or lose. He needs to keep performing well. We can discuss the championship in Abu Dhabi, but there’s still a long way to go before that point. Nothing has been finalized yet; we haven’t even reached 20 percent of the season."
This cautionary note arises as Mercedes faces the possibility of an internal rivalry between Antonelli and George Russell—evoking memories of the fierce competition between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Simultaneously, Wolff is downplaying the idea that Mercedes might completely dominate the 2026 season. "Miami will be a fresh start," he remarked. "How effective will the upgrades from the teams be? How well have we improved all the other systems? It is going to be thrilling. Teams and drivers are beginning to figure out how to optimize these systems to their benefit, and we witnessed an initial indication of that in Japan.
"During the first two races, we had a clear edge, but that changed at Suzuka. We have consistently warned about that." He further noted that Mercedes remains prudent regarding its current standing. "We’ve only completed three races. We seem like the heroes at the moment, but it’s entirely possible that our fortune may shift in the next three Grands Prix." Ferrari, which is currently the nearest competitor, is determined to use the break in April to narrow the gap. Paolo Filisetti wrote in La Gazzetta dello Sport: "The Prancing Horse will utilize the upcoming four weeks to enhance energy management and capitalize on the advancements made to the power unit, known as the ADUO.
"Simultaneously, engineers are focusing on the floor, sides, and flaps, including the official introduction of the Macarena wing."
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