Toto Wolff believes it is important not to compare Kimi Antonelli to Ayrton Senna or other legendary drivers, despite his "extraordinary results" in 2026.
From the nine races held thus far, Antonelli has won five of them and also claimed the British GP Sprint victory to hold a commanding points lead in the drivers' championship, which was as high as 66 points following the Monaco GP.
That has been whittled down to 25 points following the British GP after car failures dropped Antonelli out of second in Barcelona, and then from a likely win at Silverstone as he hunted down Charles Leclerc in the closing stages before a wheel shield failure.
In his rookie season, Antonelli initially struggled before rallying in the latter half of the season, including a stand-out second place in Sao Paulo, before coming into the 2026 season and holding the upper hand over team-mate George Russell.
Addressing the Italian's ongoing maturity, Wolff spoke how it was still important not to compare Antonelli to F1 legends such as Senna.
"We knew he needed a year of settling in and growth because Formula 1 is a completely different world than the junior series," Wolff told Gazetta della Sport.
"He had to adapt to F1 and learn to manage commitments with sponsors and the media.
"The goal has always been to improve in the second season, and he did it, driving at a very high level and obtaining extraordinary results.
"Right now, he is exceeding our most rosy expectations, but he must not feel satisfied.
"Everyone is exalting him. I always ask to keep the balance. We can't compare him to Ayrton Senna, who has won three titles and is one of the most iconic drivers ever.
"Kimi has won five races, let him grow."
Originally published by RacingNews365 —
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