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TOTO WOLFF PREDICTS KIMI ANTONELLI MOVE THAT UPSETS MAX VERSTAPPEN FANS

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff boldly predicts rookie Kimi Antonelli is "definitely" future F1 world champion material, backing the 19-year-old to challenge Max Verstappen and teammate George Russell for titles.

Toto Wolff Predicts Kimi Antonelli Move That Upsets Max Verstappen Fans
Photo: FLORENT GOODEN

As the Mercedes manager makes a bold forecast by predicting that Kimi Antonelli, 19, will challenge for titles against Max Verstappen and George Russell, Toto Wolff thinks the 19-year-old is "definitely" world champion material.

In his first Formula 1 season, the rookie has experienced both highs and lows. He impressed both fans and commentators with his Sprint Pole at the Miami Grand Prix and his first podium finish at the Canadian GP.

As he struggled for consistency and pace alongside Russell, he also had a run of just six points finishes in 14 races, which fell short of what was expected of a Silver Arrows driver. Some even questioned whether he had been promoted too soon.

The Austrian has long admired Red Bull's four-time and current defending world champion, and there were even rumours that he may lose his job if his team principal made a play for him.

However, in the end, Antonelli received a new deal that would last at least until the 2026 Formula One season. Wolff has now made a significant prediction about the young drivers that Verstappen and Russell might not agree with.

When asked if his driver could compete for world championship titles in the near future, Wolff, 53, the CEO and co-owner of Mercedes, responded, "Yeah, sure."

"Kimi has a long-term future," Wolff went on. It is really difficult, in my opinion, to introduce this generation of automobiles without having driven them against all of the people who are familiar with ground effect vehicles.

"Next year is a fresh start. We will see the real Kimi next year since he is now aware of all the tracks, the pressure from the media, and how to collaborate with the team.

Toto Wolff is prepared to risk second place at Mercedes to win the world championship


Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg, two exceptionally skilled racers renowned for their technical expertise and work ethic, drove Mercedes back into Formula One before the 2010 season. 

While the engineers worked on creating more competitive cars, the two helped guide the team on the path required to win the world championship. Lewis Hamilton joined the team in 2013 and was the last piece of the puzzle.

With a nearly unbeatable power unit, the German builder unleashed unprecedented supremacy on the grid starting in 2014 after the Brit, who had previously won the championship, gave the Silver Arrows the last push they needed.

From 2014 to 2021, Mercedes won eight constructors' championships, while Hamilton added six driver's titles. However, two of them were lost, first to Rosberg in 2016 and then to Verstappen in 2021.

With zero world titles and just seven victories in four seasons going into the 2025 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, the team has struggled to replicate the success of prior years since 2021, when the cost cap was implemented.

While Mercedes has struggled to out-develop competitors throughout a season and address internal issues with their car's concept and design, the cost cap has limited their ability to outspend the majority of the field.

Wolff also claims he would not hesitate to release the Mercedes war chest to prioritise championship glory over profit margins, even if he thinks the cost cap has been beneficial for the sport.

Wolff stated, "Yes, the sport has changed a lot since I started, since it was a marketing exercise for huge consumer goods primarily." In order to improve our mother brands, Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull were vying for supremacy.

"When we implemented the cost cap, the environment shifted. The primary goal of the initial cost cap was to somewhat balance team performances rather than boost club profitability.

Therefore, in theory, smaller teams operating on smaller budgets may eventually compete with the larger teams. For the sport, that was the proper choice. The outcomes become more vulnerable as a result. 

And the impact on the P&L (profit and loss) that we witnessed was enormous. However, I would forgo any profit in exchange for championships, which may sound crazy to a traditional entrepreneur. 

And when we first entered the sport as drivers or business owners, several of us on the squad have maintained the racer attitude.

LANDO NORRIS SINGLE: F1 CHAMPION CONFIRMS SPLIT FROM MAGUI CORCEIRO IN LEAKED VIDEO

F1 heartbreak: Analyse Lando Norris's split from Magui Corceiro, the "single man" leak, and their on-off relationship history.

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TikTok video captures Lando Norris confirming his breakup in Bahrain

Looks like Formula One world champion Lando Norris and his supermodel girlfriend, Magui Corceiro, have split up. The two started dating in 2023 and had a pretty on-and-off thing. She was right there with him when he won the title in Abu Dhabi – definitely an emotional night for both of them.

But now, it seems like it’s over. According to the Sun, a TikTok video caught Norris telling Carlos Sainz Jr that he’s “a single man". The audio’s not great, but you can hear Sainz asking if he and Magui are okay, and Lando just says, “No,” then adds that he’s single. This happened during pre-season testing in Bahrain while the drivers were getting their photos taken.

Magui, who’s also an actress from Portugal, used to date footballer Joao Felix before Lando. She and Norris broke up in 2024 and got back together, but it looks like they’ve called it quits again. People close to them say there’ve been signs for a while; things changed after Lando’s big championship win. The most obvious clue? Magui wasn’t at Lando’s big thank-you party in Bahrain, even though everyone else was there. Naturally, that got people talking.

Back in December, Magui broke down in tears after Norris won the world championship. She gave an interview to TV Guia, saying how happy they both were and how, in that moment, she forgot about the cameras. It all seemed pretty solid then.

Magui’s got a huge social following – around 800,000 fans on TikTok – and she’s done everything from acting in Portuguese dramas to modelling for brands like Intimissimi and Alo Yoga. She was even on Portugal’s Dancing with the Stars in 2020 and co-founded the eco swimwear brand Missus. She’s graced Vogue Portugal, too.

Norris himself talked about Magui in Vogue, saying they met a few years ago but only got together more recently. He called her “down to earth” and said he can just be himself around her. Apparently, he kept trying to get her into golf, but she hated it.

Neither of them has officially announced the breakup, but at this point, it looks like they’ve gone their separate ways.

DISASTER WARNING: OSCAR PIASTRI FEARS 2026 RACE STARTS COULD LEAD TO MULTI-CAR GRID ACCIDENTS

Oscar Piastri warns of chaos at the 2026 start! Discover why the new rules are a "recipe for disaster" and how McLaren found "warp speed."

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Piastri warns that clean launches now depend more on chance than skill

Oscar Piastri thinks there’s a lot of luck involved in getting a good start these days. Pre-season testing in Bahrain really made it clear that these new 2026 F1 rules have turned race starts into a much bigger headache.

He’s spoken up about this before, especially since so many teams and drivers are running into fresh problems under the new regs. The big one? F1 dropped the MGU-H from the engine formula, and suddenly, starts just aren’t as smooth. It’s a mess.

After last week’s first official test in Bahrain, Piastri didn’t sugarcoat it. He called the 2026 start a “recipe for disaster” because of how wildly different every driver’s launch is. Even the FIA and F1 noticed, so they decided to test out a longer starting procedure during the second test.

Here’s what they did: during the second test, they delayed the starting lights, giving drivers more time to spool up their turbos. Ferrari’s 2026 engine features a smaller turbo, allowing its drivers to maintain lower revs for longer periods. Others? They’re sitting there for up to ten seconds, just waiting.

Piastri says the new procedures and the extra week of testing in Bahrain helped a bit; things aren’t quite as all over the place now. But he’s honest: there’s still a ton of luck involved if you want to get a clean launch and avoid turbo lag or wheelspin.

Holding high revs to prime the turbo, now that the MGU-H is gone, is just one of the traps drivers can fall into. Piastri figures it’s going to take a while before all 22 drivers on the grid are nailing their starts every time.

He summed it up at the press conference in Bahrain: “Mine yesterday wasn’t so bad. I was last, but I also overtook four cars. There’s still a lot of luck involved, and we’re learning what makes a good start and what makes a bad one.

“There are a few pitfalls you can run into that cause problems. Managing the energy and the whole procedure – that’s one thing.

“The way we start is just totally different from last year. It’s trickier across the board. Some drivers are handling it; some just aren’t.”

On the other hand, McLaren looked like they were getting the hang of it by the last day of testing. Jolyon Palmer, watching from the sidelines, was impressed by Piastri’s practice start but even more blown away by Lando Norris.

Palmer thought McLaren had cracked the code. On Friday, Piastri shot off the line in the morning, but Norris outdid everyone in the final session. Palmer joked that Norris hit “warp speed".

He said on the F1 broadcast, “Warp speed, see you mate! That’s a brilliant start from Lando. McLaren is there. I’ve seen it all day. Oscar got a great start. In the pit lane, it looks good.

“I’d love to see that next to the Ferrari, honestly, because it’s really impressive. Their start is much better than Red Bull’s. I’d say it’s even better than Mercedes.”

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