Why Wolff believes that Austin victory was Antonelli’s 'best race' so far

Kimi Antonelli has claimed several memorable victories in 2026, but Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff believes his United States Grand Prix triumph was the best yet.

Antonelli didn’t quite put the World Championship beyond mathematical doubt, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell remaining in contention. However, the Italian did all he could, taking pole position before delivering a dominant performance.

Victory was made all the sweeter by the fact that the team had struggled on Friday as they continued to explore the update package that was first seen in Malaysia, and which thus far has proved tricky to optimise.

However, by Qualifying Antonelli and his engineers had found the right window with his W17, and he never looked back.

“On Kimi's side obviously the main headline is that for me that’s the best race that he's delivered so far,” Wolff said on Sunday evening. “Getting off the start with the inferior tyre, and then controlling it at all times. The race of a champion – who isn't the champion yet – but exceptional.

“And so I think he's outperformed the car. Maybe it's a bit harsh to say, but I think his driving style just glues with the car. We saw that in Qualifying yesterday, where on his last lap he could have been another tenth and a half or two up.”

Asked if he really thought that Austin outranked Antonelli’s charge from the back to victory at Monza, Wolff stuck to his guns.

“I've said that this is probably the best race I've seen, but my problem is that I don't remember past races!” he joked. “So now you saying Monza, it was actually also pretty good, obviously with the advantage of the home crowd and seeing all these Tifosi that were a little bit confused wearing red and hearing the Italian anthem, but with the Mercedes outfit up on the podium.

“I think we're going to see more Kimi caps, Mercedes caps next year. Yeah, so both of them were pretty good. But the headline ‘this is the best’ we can keep!”

Reflecting on Antonelli’s form in 2026, Wolff also noted how relaxed the Italian remains despite the pressure surrounding the World Championship.

“I think maybe it was his benefit that the regulations were all new,” he said. “Last year he came in, and those cars existed for four years. The other drivers were used to it, and all new for everyone this year. And he just made it stick, with his mindset, with his easiness about approaching things.

“He's come to my office before getting ready, before getting dressed, and just sat down on that sofa and said, ‘I'm going to enjoy this one. And isn't it funny? I'm not thinking at all about the championship.’ And I said, ‘Well, exactly. Stick to that attitude. You have the best job in the world. Don't forget that.’ So he has also the right mindset.”

Wolff admitted that he still can’t quite comprehend the scale of the step Antonelli has made since last season.

“It's been 30 or more years that I've tried to understand the racing driver's brains, and I still don't know what has happened over the winter. His ability to process and deliver something that's outstanding, which we didn't see coming.

“But credit to him, credit to his engineers, to his environment, his family that he's delivered in that way.”

Naturally, Wolff is being cautious given that the title is not yet won. However when asked if he was proud of his own involvement in Kimi’s career – given that he is 99.9 percent of the way there – he provided an interesting insight.

“First of all, thank you, but I wasn't the one responsible for it,” he said. “It was teamwork. It was our junior team around Gwen [Lagrue] that discovered him when he was 11, and credit to that group that have developed him over the many years.

“I read an interview of Piero Ferrari last week where he said, ‘What a talent!’ He reminds him of Niki Lauda. And I'm thinking, people don't get that this is the work of nine years, the development of nine years, the hardship over nine years, the integration of the team, the working with the engineers, the 10 or more millions spent in the development of his career, of his ability, of his character, together with his parents, and it's just not that it landed like this.

“The many people that said last year after nine races without points he shouldn't be in a Mercedes. People that in other teams that said he shouldn't even be in Formula 1. The tears in Spa in in Parc Ferme, and all of that.

“Now it's extremely satisfying to see what he's able to deliver, how he's working with the team, with Bono, and yielding the results. But it wasn't an easy road. So yeah, I'm happy that like you say, it’s 99.9 percent.

“He still needs to finish the race in Mexico. So it's either going to be a big tequila party, or if it's not a tequila party, then it's going to be caipirinha the weekend afterwards…”