Mercedes Spent Millions on Nurturing Antonelli After Ferrari Said No
Mercedes says it spent nine years and more than €10 million developing Kimi Antonelli after Ferrari passed on him as a child.
- Following his ninth win of the season at last Sunday's Grand Prix in Austin, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff emphasized that Kimi Antonelli's success reflects "the work of nine years" of development.
- Mercedes secured the driver in 2018 when Antonelli was 11, after former manager Giovanni Minardi noted Ferrari deemed him too young and Mercedes provided stronger future guarantees.
- Wolff detailed the significant effort behind this integration, citing "10 or more millions" spent on career and character development alongside race engineer Peter Bono Bonnington.
- Former Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo expressed regret that Ferrari missed signing the talent, while Piero Ferrari recently praised the driver, acknowledging the opportunity that slipped away.
- Now 20, Antonelli is poised to become Italy's first Formula One champion in 73 years, marking a historic achievement for the driver Mercedes nurtured to succeed Lewis Hamilton.
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Channel News Asia
PressNewsAgencyMercedes spent millions on nurturing Antonelli after Ferrari said no
MEXICO CITY, Oct 27 : Ferrari fans can only imagine what might have been had local boy Kimi Antonelli signed for their team rather than Mercedes as a young go-karter.Formula One's oldest and most successful team had the chance to secure the talent now set to become Italy's first champion in 73 years, and For
Nextgen-Auto.com
motors-addictKimi Antonelli could become Formula 1 2026 World Champion in a particularly unexpected way. While the Mercedes rider has 123 points ahead of his team-mate George Russell before the Mexico Grand Prix, the uncertainty surrounding the last two races of the season in the Middle East could precipitate his sacre. A decision expected around November 9 on the maintenance of Qatar and Abu Dhabi could indeed make his advance mathematically definitive, (..…
CNN Brasil
gazetaweb.comToto Wolff, head of Mercedes, highlighted the work of nine years in the development of the young Italian, who is close to winning the title of Formula 1
Mercedes Saves $60 Million by Replacing Hamilton With Antonelli
Mercedes’ decision to replace Lewis Hamilton with Andrea Kimi Antonelli is paying off on track and on the payroll. Antonelli is reportedly earning a fraction of Hamilton’s former salary while leading teammate George Russell and closing in on the 2026 title. The move gives Mercedes a championship contender and substantial room to redirect money toward the team’s broader needs.
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