"When I chose Kimi Antonelli, we lost two sponsors"

Clinching the Formula 1 World Championship at the Mexican Grand Prix in just his second season has fully justified Mercedes' faith in Kimi Antonelli. However, the promotion of the young driver, who stepped into a race seat at just 18 years old in 2025, was met with intense skepticism both internally and externally—even resulting in the loss of major sponsors, as revealed by Toto Wolff.

Speaking to Sky Sports, the Brackley team principal recalled the market's reaction when Lewis Hamilton's successor was announced: "We had two sponsors leave us because of it. They asked me: 'Kimi Antonelli, who on earth is this kid supposed to be?' But others stuck with us and are now reaping the rewards."

The storyline began to unfold ahead of the 2024 season, when Hamilton announced his bombshell move to Ferrari for the following year. The vacancy left by the seven-time world champion sparked relentless media speculation, with established names on the grid being linked to the seat, including Max Verstappen over the summer. The situation was further compounded by Antonelli's challenging campaign in Formula 2, where he did not secure the first of his two victories until the 15th round of a 28-race season.

Despite outside pressure, Wolff insisted his mind was made up straight away. "When Lewis stood at my door that morning, everything was already clear to me. The moment he confirmed he was going to Ferrari, I knew instantly that Kimi would be in that car," the Austrian chief emphasized.

The decision was immediately relayed to technical director James Allison and Bradley Lord, then communications director and now deputy CEO. "I told them: 'Kimi is in the car.' They just replied: 'What are you talking about?' But we had the data. We didn't need any further confirmation. Kimi had already proven himself through his success in Formula 4 and Formula Regional. Everything else was crystal clear," Wolff recalled.

While Wolff did not name the departing partners, the end of 2024 was marked by the exits of Tommy Hilfiger and Puma from the team's commercial portfolio. In response, the German outfit went on to secure a landmark partnership with Adidas.

Making the jump straight from Formula 2 into a top-tier seat was described by Wolff as a "calculated risk" that carried the full backing of Mercedes' hierarchy: "The team always supported this decision. Ola [Källenius, Mercedes CEO] stood firmly behind it the entire time. There were no doubts from within. The doubts came entirely from the outside—from former partners who are no longer with us, from rival teams, from other drivers who felt they deserved the opportunity, and from the media."

The start of the 2025 campaign tested the team's resolve, as the young Italian endured a nine-race point-less drought and an agonizing, tearful weekend at Spa-Francorchamps. At the time, critics questioned Mercedes' management, arguing that Antonelli should have spent time learning the ropes at Williams first, echoing George Russell's path to the team.

"The 2025 season unfolded exactly as I expected. It was always clear to me that this was a project of at least two years, and the second year would need to confirm what we saw in him. Sitting here today, we have received that confirmation. It's incredible. You almost have to pinch yourself, because it feels like just yesterday he was an 11-year-old kid standing in a karting garage," Wolff stated.