We would like him to go for strikes

Mercedes workforce boss Toto Wolff has insisted that Antonelli's conflict with Charles Leclerc in F1's Dutch Grand Prix is a part of his rookie studying and encourages the Italian teen to maintain going for aggressive overtakes.

As Leclerc fought to carry off each Mercedes drivers for fifth place within the latter phases of the Zandvoort race, Antonelli put stress on Ferrari with a second pitstop to gentle tyres, which Leclerc responded to a lap later. Because the Monegasque driver got here out in entrance of Antonelli, the Italian used the momentum of getting tyres that had been as much as temperature to make a lunge on Leclerc down the within of the banked Flip 3.

However on the flatter part of the banking Antonelli suffered understeer and drifted into the facet of Leclerc, punting the Ferrari driver right into a spin that ended within the outdoors wall, ripping off the nostril of Leclerc's automotive.

Antonelli escaped repairable injury for which he pitted once more, however obtained a 10-second penalty to drop him out of the factors, whereas additionally gathering two penalty factors.

“If the visor goes down, you've gotten a monster and that is what we would like.” – Toto Wolff

When requested about Antonelli's crash, Wolff apologised to Ferrari on his behalf however stated he needs his 18-year-old driver to go for the kind of overtake he tried on Leclerc.

“I used to be considering within the race, what wouldn't it have been if Kimi had overtaken a Ferrari? I feel the individuals in Italy would have been completely happy,” Wolff stated. “Italian followers need an Italian driver that's preventing, that pushes the automotive to the restrict and generally over the restrict. And that is what occurred right now.

“Clearly, from the workforce's perspective, we do not wish to take a Ferrari out. Definitely not. And I am positive that Kimi significantly would not wish to take a Ferrari out. However it's what it's. It is exhausting racing. Unlucky and I am sorry for Charles and Ferrari. However we would like him to go for the strikes and he ought to.”

Wolff added: “Within the racing automotive, he is a fierce competitor, and he has been since karting. If the visor goes down, you've gotten a monster and that is what we would like.”

It was Antonelli's second expensive mistake of the Zandvoort weekend after a crash in first observe which set him again for the remainder of the weekend as he did not progress to Q3, however from which he recovered from with flashes of robust tempo on Sunday.

“We made it clear after we gave him the chance that we'd give him a yr of studying after which there can be moments the place we might tear our hair out and there can be different moments of brilliance. And I feel this weekend just about sums that up,” Wolff stated.

“The error in FP1 clearly is one thing that places you on the again foot for all the weekend. After which within the race, these moments of nice driving, he was in free air, he was behind the McLaren the quickest automotive, caught up after which once more was concerned in that accident that sadly meant the tip for Charles' race and in addition for Kimi's race.

“It is ups and downs and I used to be completely anticipating that this season. Each a type of days goes to be a lesson for subsequent yr.”

Antonelli's rookie travails are costing Mercedes second within the constructors' championship because it stands, with the Italian seventh on 64 factors in comparison with 184 for team-mate George Russell, whereas Mercedes trails Ferrari by 12 factors. However that is a value Wolff is prepared to pay with the larger image of 2026's guidelines reset in thoughts.

“We're not preventing for a constructors' championship. After all, it is P2 and P3 that's at stake, however this has much less relevance than subsequent yr when it is essential to attain the factors,” the Austrian defined.

“Kimi is eighteen years outdated, thrown into this mammoth of a workforce representing Mercedes – he will make errors. You all the time want that the educational has much less humps and bumps than it has right now as a result of the swings are huge. However [the potential] is there and we've got no doubts. My one hundred pc perception is in him in the long run.”

Wolff beforehand confirmed Antonelli, who scored a dash pole in Miami and a maiden podium in Canada, would proceed alongside team-mate George Russell subsequent yr, with an official announcement anticipated to be a formality.