James Hinchcliffe has expressed concern over Toto Wolff’s handling of Kimi Antonelli, worrying that the team principal’s cautious approach might not be in the young driver’s best interests.
Antonelli currently holds a 20-point lead in the championship after four races. He has won the last three events from pole position and is pulling away from his more experienced teammate, George Russell.
Antonelli is doing what he needs to on track, but Mercedes are keen to keep things in perspective. Wolff has made it clear that they’re not getting carried away with early success.
The Italian press is eager to follow his rise, given he could become Italy’s first world champion since Alberto Ascari. However, Wolff has been careful about managing his media exposure, a move Hinchcliffe feels uneasy about.
James Hinchcliffe worried that Toto Wolff’s approach with Kimi Antonelli may have unintended effects
Wolff has openly admitted he is ‘scared’ of how Antonelli has started the 2026 season, worrying that the young Italian could make mistakes under the pressure. As Hinchcliffe points out, this isn’t something he needs to do with Russell, who has the experience and maturity to stand on his own.
Speaking via F1 Nation, Hinchcliffe expressed concern that Wolff’s approach might backfire if Antonelli becomes either too discouraged after a setback or overly confident following a win.
He said: “Toto Wolff, even post-Miami, is still saying, ‘We have to protect him. We’ve got to make sure he stays grounded. We’ve got to make sure that the good days don’t big him up too much, that the bad days don’t get him down too much.’
“You don’t have to do that with George. George has a level of experience and a level of maturity that, he can go through a whole season without another phone call from Toto and he’ll be fine.
“Kimi… the team is still outwardly projecting that they kind of have to bubble wrap this kid a little bit because they need to make sure he stays in this place.
“And if anything makes him deviate off that, there could be issues, that’s just one of those things.
“As an investor when you’re looking at betting your life savings on something, that’s an element I think makes me nervous compared to George who’s a bit more of a known quantity in that sense.”
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