Wolff backs Antonelli after Leclerc clash: "We want him to go for moves"

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has insisted that Antonelli's clash with Charles Leclerc in F1's Dutch Grand Prix is part of his rookie learning and encourages the Italian youngster to keep going for aggressive overtakes.

As Leclerc fought to hold off both Mercedes drivers for fifth place in the latter stages of the Zandvoort race, Antonelli put pressure on Ferrari with a second pitstop to soft tyres, which Leclerc responded to a lap later. As the Monegasque driver came out in front of Antonelli, the Italian used the momentum of having tyres that were up to temperature to make a lunge on Leclerc down the inside of the banked Turn 3.

But on the flatter section of the banking Antonelli suffered understeer and drifted into the side of Leclerc, punting the Ferrari driver into a spin that ended in the outside wall, ripping off the nose of Leclerc's car.

Antonelli escaped repairable damage for which he pitted again, but received a 10-second penalty to drop him out of the points, while also collecting two penalty points.

"If the visor goes down, you have a monster and that's what we want." - Toto Wolff

When asked about Antonelli's crash, Wolff apologised to Ferrari on his behalf but said he wants his 18-year-old driver to go for the type of overtake he attempted on Leclerc.

"I was thinking in the race, what would it have been if Kimi had overtaken a Ferrari? I think the people in Italy would have been happy," Wolff said. "Italian fans want an Italian driver that is fighting, that pushes the car to the limit and sometimes over the limit. And that's what happened today.

"Obviously, from the team's perspective, we don't want to take a Ferrari out. Certainly not. And I'm sure that Kimi particularly doesn't want to take a Ferrari out. But it is what it is. It's hard racing. Unfortunate and I'm sorry for Charles and Ferrari. But we want him to go for the moves and he should."

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Photo by: Gabriele Lanzo / Alessio Morgese / NurPhoto via Getty Images

Wolff added: "In the racing car, he's a fierce competitor, and he has been since karting. If the visor goes down, you have a monster and that's what we want."

It was Antonelli's second costly mistake of the Zandvoort weekend after a crash in first practice which set him back for the rest of the weekend as he failed to progress to Q3, but from which he recovered from with flashes of strong pace on Sunday.

"We made it clear when we gave him the opportunity that we would give him a year of learning and then there would be moments where we'd tear our hair out and there would be other moments of brilliance. And I think this weekend pretty much sums that up," Wolff said.

"The mistake in FP1 clearly is something that puts you on the back foot for all of the weekend. And then in the race, these moments of great driving, he was in free air, he was behind the McLaren the quickest car, caught up and then again was involved in that accident that unfortunately meant the end for Charles' race and also for Kimi's race.

"It's ups and downs and I was absolutely expecting that this season. Every one of those days is going to be a lesson for next year."

Amid a tougher spell of races, Antonelli took a maiden podium in Canada

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images via Getty Images

Antonelli's rookie travails are costing Mercedes second in the constructors' championship as it stands, with the Italian seventh on 64 points compared to 184 for team-mate George Russell, while Mercedes trails Ferrari by 12 points. But that's a price Wolff is willing to pay with the bigger picture of 2026's rules reset in mind.

"We're not fighting for a constructors' championship. Of course, it's P2 and P3 that is at stake, but this has less relevance than next year when it's important to score the points," the Austrian explained.

"Kimi is 18 years old, thrown into this mammoth of a team representing Mercedes - he's going to make mistakes. You always wish that the learning has less humps and bumps than it has today because the swings are enormous. But [the potential] is there and we have no doubts. My 100 percent belief is in him in the long term."

Wolff previously confirmed Antonelli, who scored a sprint pole in Miami and a maiden podium in Canada, would continue alongside team-mate George Russell next year, with an official announcement expected to be a formality.