Mercedes invested millions in training Kimi Antonelli
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Sabcnews
Mercedes invested several million in training Italian driver Kimi Antonelli after Ferrari decided against signing him when he was a young kart racer. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has highlighted the scale of the work devoted to his development as Antonelli targets the Formula 1 title, according to SABC News.
Mercedes spent more than $10 million developing the career of Kimi Antonelli, its young Italian Formula 1 driver, team principal and co-owner Toto Wolff said. He was speaking after Antonelli’s victory at the United States Grand Prix in Austin on Sunday, his ninth win of the season.
Mercedes signed Antonelli in 2018, when he was 11. Wolff described nine years of support, including his integration into the team, his work with engineers and the development of his abilities and character alongside his parents. Antonelli, now 20, is set to become the first Italian Formula 1 champion in 73 years and the youngest champion in the sport’s history.
Ferrari had also considered signing the driver when he was young. His former manager Giovanni Minardi told the Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport that Ferrari had considered him too young at the time, while Mercedes could offer better guarantees for his future. Former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo told the Spanish newspaper AS that he regretted the missed opportunity, while believing that a young Italian behind the wheel of a Ferrari would have faced considerable pressure.
The Austin victory came after nine races without a point for Antonelli the previous season, during which some believed he should not have been given a Mercedes seat or raced in Formula 1. It adds to his two previous victories in the United States, covered in the report on his Grand Prix victory and in the account of his American race and quest for the world title.
