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Guenther Steiner has made a pointed suggestion about the motivation behind Toto Wolff's investment in Andrea Kimi Antonelli, and it goes beyond pure sporting logic. The former Haas team principal believes a long-standing frustration with Verstappen is playing a role in how Wolff approaches his young championship leader.
Wolff Has Been Chasing Verstappen Since 2014
Steiner's argument rests on a timeline. Wolff first identified Verstappen as a target when the Dutchman was making waves in Formula 3 in 2014 and has made multiple attempts to bring him to Mercedes in the years since. None of them succeeded. Red Bull kept Verstappen, Verstappen kept winning, and Wolff was left watching from the other side of the paddock.
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"He still looks back at the moment he could not get Verstappen," Steiner said on the Drive to Wynn podcast. "With Kimi, he now has the feeling that he has finally found his next superstar in-house."
Not Favouritism, But a Deeper Motivation
Steiner was careful to separate what he described from simple favouritism. His reading of Wolff is that the Mercedes boss always prioritises the team's interests over any individual within it. "George Russell manages fine on his own, not much management needed there.
And Toto treats him and Kimi the same way, because both came through the Mercedes junior programme."
The distinction Steiner is drawing is more subtle: Wolff is not backing Antonelli over Russell, but his emotional investment in Antonelli's development carries a weight that goes beyond the professional relationship a team principal typically has with a driver. "He places himself above his drivers and does not take sides. For him everything comes down to one thing: winning with Mercedes. That is ultimately what he works for." Antonelli currently leads the championship after wins in China and Japan, which means whatever Wolff's deeper motivations, the results are speaking for themselves.
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