Toto Wolff has disclosed that two sponsors withdrew their backing from Mercedes after he promoted Kimi Antonelli to Formula 1, a decision vindicated two years later when the Italian clinched the world championship.
Antonelli, then 18, was named as Lewis Hamilton's replacement after the seven-time champion moved to Ferrari. Max Verstappen had been linked with the seat, but Wolff chose Antonelli, who had only two F2 victories in the 2024 campaign, viewing him as an investment for the future.
Sponsors who left and those who stayed
Reflecting on the fallout, Wolff told Sky Sports: "We had two sponsors who left us because of it. They asked me: 'Kimi Antonelli, who is this kid supposed to be?' And there were others who have stayed with us to this day, and they are now reaping the rewards."
The team principal did not confirm which companies pulled their funding, though fashion brand Tommy Hilfiger and sports goods manufacturer Puma stopped sponsoring the team after the 2024 campaign. Mercedes later brought Adidas on board and were close to agreeing a deal with Gillette, which ultimately chose to sponsor Audi instead.
Wolff's belief in Antonelli
The departures did not shake Wolff's conviction. Recalling the day he elevated Antonelli, he added: "When Lewis stood at my door that morning, everything was already clear to me. The moment he confirmed that he was going to Ferrari, I knew Kimi would be in the car."
He then informed deputy team principal Bradley Lord and technical director James Allison. "I told them: 'Kimi is in the car.' They just said: 'What are you talking about,'" Wolff said. "But we had the data. We didn't need any more confirmation. Kimi had already confirmed it through his success in Formula 4 and Formula Regional. The rest was crystal clear."
Title success after a tough debut
Antonelli managed only a seventh-placed finish in his debut campaign, registering three podium finishes. One year later, he won his maiden world title, Mercedes' first since 2020, proving the doubters wrong.
