Antonelli strengthens Mercedes position after Baku rebound

Ralf Schumacher believes Kimi Antonelli may have secured his footing at Mercedes with a strong fourth-place finish in Baku, easing pressure after Toto Wolff’s recent criticism.

Ahead of the weekend, Wolff had described the 19-year-old’s Monza outing as “disappointing” and “underwhelming”, fuelling talk that Mercedes could revisit the idea of signing Carlos Sainz for 2026, but Schumacher told Sky Deutschland that Antonelli’s recovery drive helped shift perceptions.

"Formula 1 is very short-lived. "Kimi Antonelli had an important weekend in Baku, where he did something for his public image. This result was also important internally for Mercedes," he said.

"Not only Kimi was under pressure, but also Toto. He decided to give Kimi the cockpit after Lewis Hamilton. If the driver he proposed to the shareholders doesn't perform, then they ask, 'What do we do now?' In the end, it's expensive - and you also have to look at the Constructors' Championship. That's why Baku was so important for Mercedes."

The German continued: "Kimi had a solid weekend. He can build on that. So I don't think that door will open again for Carlos Sainz."

Sainz confirmed to Sky Italia that discussions with Mercedes had taken place before he committed to Williams. "We talked a lot with Mercedes and everyone else at the time, and I was certainly one of the options that was considered, but how close I was, you can ask Toto," the Spaniard added.

As for the latest rumours, Sainz was clear: "I have a contract with Williams and Toto hasn't called me." Meanwhile, Wolff is closely monitoring Max Verstappen, whose consecutive poles and victories at Monza and Baku have cut into McLaren’s championship lead.

"Max has had a good run," said the Austrian. "The car is good. With Max Verstappen, you always have to be wary of what he can achieve, especially now that it's possible again," Wolff warned.

"Everything has to work out well for him, but you already saw in Baku that a DNF for the championship leader clears the way for Max to score 25 points. Things can change quickly."