Wolff hails Antonelli's Austin masterclass as Italian's 'best race' of 2026
Wolff: "Race of a champion" from Antonelli in Austin
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has declared Kimi Antonelli's dominant victory at the 2026 United States Grand Prix in Austin as the Italian's "best race" of the season so far, hailing a controlled, mature drive from pole position that extended his lead in the World Championship.
Antonelli converted pole into a commanding win at the Circuit of the Americas, managing the race from the front despite starting on the inferior tyre. The result stretched his advantage, though Lewis Hamilton and George Russell remain mathematically in contention. It was made sweeter by the fact that Mercedes had struggled on Friday while continuing to explore the update package first seen in Malaysia, which has so far proved tricky to optimise — but by Qualifying, Antonelli and his engineers had found the right window with the W17.
"On Kimi's side obviously the main headline is that for me that's the best race that he's delivered so far," Wolff said on Sunday evening. "Getting off the start with the inferior tyre, and then controlling it at all times. The race of a champion – who isn't the champion yet – but exceptional.
"And so I think he's outperformed the car. Maybe it's a bit harsh to say, but I think his driving style just glues with the car. We saw that in Qualifying yesterday, where on his last lap he could have been another tenth and a half or two up."
Monza or Austin? Wolff sticks to his guns
Asked if he really believed Austin outranked Antonelli's charge from the back to victory at Monza, Wolff refused to back down — while admitting his memory of earlier races is hazy.
"I've said that this is probably the best race I've seen, but my problem is that I don't remember past races!" he joked. "So now you saying Monza, it was actually also pretty good, obviously with the advantage of the home crowd and seeing all these Tifosi that were a little bit confused wearing red and hearing the Italian anthem, but with the Mercedes outfit up on the podium.
"I think we're going to see more Kimi caps, Mercedes caps next year. Yeah, so both of them were pretty good. But the headline 'this is the best' we can keep!"
"I'm not thinking at all about the championship"
Reflecting on Antonelli's form in 2026, Wolff noted how relaxed the Italian remains despite the pressure of a title fight, suggesting the all-new regulations worked in his favour.
"I think maybe it was his benefit that the regulations were all new," he said. "Last year he came in, and those cars existed for four years. The other drivers were used to it, and all new for everyone this year. And he just made it stick, with his mindset, with his easiness about approaching things.
Wolff recalled a telling moment before the race that captured Antonelli's mentality.
"He's come to my office before getting ready, before getting dressed, and just sat down on that sofa and said, 'I'm going to enjoy this one. And isn't it funny? I'm not thinking at all about the championship.' And I said, 'Well, exactly. Stick to that attitude. You have the best job in the world. Don't forget that.' So he has also the right mindset."
Wolff admitted he still cannot quite comprehend the scale of the step Antonelli has made since last season.
"It's been 30 or more years that I've tried to understand the racing driver's brains, and I still don't know what has happened over the winter. His ability to process and deliver something that's outstanding, which we didn't see coming. But credit to him, credit to his engineers, to his environment, his family that he's delivered in that way."
Nine years in the making
Asked if he was proud of his own involvement in Antonelli's career — given that the Italian is "99.9 percent of the way there" — Wolff pointed to the long-term, collective effort behind the youngster's rise.
"First of all, thank you, but I wasn't the one responsible for it," he said. "It was teamwork. It was our junior team around Gwen [Lagrue] that discovered him when he was 11, and credit to that group that have developed him over the many years.
Wolff referenced a recent interview in which Piero Ferrari compared Antonelli's talent to Niki Lauda, while stressing the years of work behind the scenes.
"I read an interview of Piero Ferrari last week where he said, 'What a talent!' He reminds him of Niki Lauda. And I'm thinking, people don't get that this is the work of nine years, the development of nine years, the hardship over nine years, the integration of the team, the working with the engineers, the 10 or more millions spent in the development of his career, of his ability, of his character, together with his parents, and it's just not that it landed like this.
"The many people that said last year after nine races without points he shouldn't be in a Mercedes. People that in other teams that said he shouldn't even be in Formula 1. The tears in Spa in Parc Ferme, and all of that.
"Now it's extremely satisfying to see what he's able to deliver, how he's working with the team, with Bono, and yielding the results. But it wasn't an easy road. So yeah, I'm happy that like you say, it's 99.9 percent."
One race from the title
With the championship not yet mathematically secured, Wolff is keeping his celebrations in check — and already has the drinks planned depending on how Mexico unfolds.
"He still needs to finish the race in Mexico. So it's either going to be a big tequila party, or if it's not a tequila party, then it's going to be caipirinha the weekend afterwards…"