Wolff says two sponsors left Mercedes over Antonelli promotion

Two sponsors left Mercedes over Toto Wolff’s decision to give Kimi Antonelli a Formula 1 seat for 2025, he says. Wolff recalled making the call immediately after Lewis Hamilton told him he was going to Ferrari; doubts about the choice were summed up by the question “who is this kid?”

Other sponsors stayed with Mercedes, Wolff said. Some were there when Antonelli became Formula 1’s youngest drivers’ champion at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix and, in Wolff’s words, “reaped the full reward.”

The title followed a difficult 2025 debut season. Wolff recalled nine European races without a point and tears in Spa. He also recalled people again saying Antonelli should not be in Formula 1 or should be at a smaller team. Mercedes knew its data, Wolff said, and viewed the promotion as “a calculated risk, not a real risk.”