'This is a long game' – Wolff on the importance of keeping the pressure off Antonelli After an impressive run of three victories, Toto Wolff has explained why Mercedes need to keep Kimi Antonelli grounded. Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has emphasised that Kimi Antonelli will have to play the “long game” by remaining calm in the battle for the Drivers' Championship, after the 19-year-old won three consecutive Grands Prix in China, Japan and Miami. Following an intense rookie season for Antonelli, the initial expectation ahead of the 2026 season was that the more experienced George Russell would outperform his younger Mercedes team mate, but the Italian has gone on to convert three pole positions – his first coming in China to become the youngest-ever Grand Prix polesitter – into an equal number of victories. Wolff previously admitted that no one at the team expected such a successful run from Antonelli, as he currently leads the standings with 100 points from the opening four rounds, 20 clear of Russell. Although Mercedes are eager to celebrate the teenager’s achievements, they also remain acutely aware that it would be easy for him to give into the pressure that comes with finding himself as the one to beat. “I think all of us collectively that are close to him, we need to keep re-emphasising and repeating the message: this is a long game,” Wolff said after Antonelli’s victory at the Miami Grand Prix. “He has a killer of a team mate that is extremely fast. “The others are catching up in performance, and we want to play the long game. He can hopefully win many Championships over 10 years, 15 years. We don't want to stumble now with these huge expectations that will sit on him because the moment he has a bad