https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... LoH0aD7tel




"[People asked] Why do you put this kid in the car? Oh, it's Kimi Antonelli. THIS is Kimi Antonelli! Incredible. Also today, completely serene. That's what makes him so different."
Wolff later appeared again with the broadcaster, going into further detail on why he was right to back the young Italian. “We have to pinch ourselves because it seems like yesterday he was 11 years old in a garage in junior karting and it goes so fast.
“He wins the junior formulas, then a difficult year in F2 and that's already where people start outside started to doubt. Then when Lewis told me he was going to Ferrari, it was my immediate reaction that we’ve got to put him in the car."
Wolff even revealed sponsors left Mercedes upon Antonelli's promotion but despite knowing the "calculated risk" of handing a then 18-year-old Antonelli his debut in 2025, the Austrian expressed his pride in backing the Italian.
“But people doubted. We had two sponsors leaving us because of that, because of ‘who is this kid?’ There were others who stayed with us until today. Some are here that reaped the full reward.
“And then the difficult year and people said again, he shouldn't even be in Formula 1 or he should be at a smaller team. Over nine races, no points, the tears in Spa and then this.
“I'm just so proud for the team that all of them continue to trust him and he delivered. It was instinctive. Lewis left. I called Bradley and said, Kimi is in the car next year. We knew the data, so it kind of felt the right thing to do. I think it was always a calculated risk, not a real risk.”
"Don't call it a miracle. This world championship is the result of a plan started years ago that I'm proud of."No one at Mercedes ever doubted Antonelli; we always supported him even when the results weren't coming."If he'd been at Ferrari or Red Bull, there would have been doubts. They would never have put him in the best car straight away and would have parked him in a small team, like Bearman. We had a project for Kimi, a schedule."
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