Wolff: P4 is the result that Antonelli deserves

Toto Wolff, director of the Mercedes team, was satisfied with the debut of his youngest protégé Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who took fourth place in the Australian Grand Prix 2025.

Antonelli paid back the faith that Wolff had under control after his introduction under the last Sunday. He recovered from a sad qualification when he was emitted from the first quarter and the race on the 16th began on the raster, but took fourth place.

Antonelli's result was at risk when he was hit in the box with a time penalty of five seconds for an unsafe release, but Mercedes successfully made the decision and his fourth place was reinstated.

Antonelli had been in the spotlight since he quickly skipped the junior categories, skipped Formula 3 overall and was found in Formula 2 after just one season.

On a weekend on which all beginners stormed and turned to the left, right and in the middle, Antonelli held his Mercedes in the right direction despite a moment in the tricky conditions and ended the P4, while his experienced teammate George Russell finished third.

“I think we always knew his potential since he was a child.

Qualification misfortune not Antonelli's does

The Austrian explained the disappointing qualification of the Italian and added: “In qualifying, he was not in the wrong place.

“In the Grand Prix we saw that he was slowly but surely able to make any mistakes.

While the fight against McLaren was expected from Ferrari, it was Max Verstappen who benefited Mercedes last weekend in Melbourne from the conditions in Melbourne.

Wolff rated the Hackords, which was created after the opening round of the F1, and said: “If you look at the real pace, the pace result would be P4, P5.

“I think it's a solid weekend, but if you look at it from a half -empty side, you have to say that the pace of the McLaren is only very strong.

“We have to get better if we want to fight for racing wins and world championships. (Quotes from Agnes Carlier from Melbourne)

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