Toto Wolff likens Kimi Antonelli to F1 greats after 19-place Monza fightback

Kimi Antonelli produced one of the most remarkable victories of the season at the Italian Grand Prix, fighting from 19th on the grid to beat Mercedes team-mate George Russell. Team principal Toto Wolff compared the 20-year-old to Formula One greats, including seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, saying Antonelli would remember the race as one of the greatest of his career. Antonelli now leads the world championship by 66 points from Russell and 76 from Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton with ten rounds remaining. He has seven wins this season, including five in a row. Wolff recalled that in 2026 Antonelli crashed at Parabolica during his first free practice appearance at Monza, but two years later he closed the circle with the biggest moment of his career so far. Wolff described Antonelli’s development as being like an AI agent that continuously improves, learning from pressure and turning experience into speed. George Russell admitted that Antonelli is fully in control of the title race, saying he is no longer thinking about a fight or comeback and will simply try to enjoy the rest of the season and win as many races as possible.