No risk of Antonelli 'losing the plot' despite F1 points advantage - Wolff

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says there is no danger of Kimi Antonelli getting carried away with his 81-point lead at the top of Formula 1's drivers’ championship.

Antonelli entered the back-to-back races in Monza and Madrid off the back of one win in six races and with a grid penalty in Italy, while Mercedes expected a tough challenge from rivals in Spain. The championship leader duly won both races to open up a commanding advantage, but Wolff says Antonelli is focusing on each race as it comes.

“Kimi from his personality, is so grounded,” Wolff said. “100% racer, not distracted from anything outside. A super family situation, and that's why I see no risk that he's losing the plot because he's so dominant.

“And this, over the next few years, it's something that we will always have our discussions like we have now. What is it that could distract him? What is it that's good for him? What kind of environment he needs? And that's the discussion we have.

“I can promise you he does not think about it. The way this kid is able to compartmentalize and be the young kid and then get into the car and be the mature racing driver… That's why if Kimi says to himself, ‘I’m not thinking about the championship’, he's not thinking about the championship.

“And we always try, his parents and himself, are saying this is not finished. There is black swan in it – they can come and you're losing something out of your hand when you didn't think it was possible to lose. So we’re not going to think about it.

“We're too grown up and mature for this. We think about worst case scenarios. He doesn't think about anything else.”

Antonelli himself attributes his outlook to the support he receives from his family, and said he doesn’t want to change his approach as so far this year it has been proven to be working.

“I’m lucky to have really good people around me,” Antonelli said. “I have an incredible team that supports me, great family. Especially my dad is the one that keeps me on the ground. When he sees that I might lose a the way a little bit, he doesn’t (hesitate) to tell me off or to just tell me to go back to ground. So, definitely having good people helps a lot.

“On my side, as I said many times, I just try to do my best every race, trying to really drive as fast as I can whenever I go in the car. And then we’ll see where we end up at the end of the year. But definitely I don’t want to overcomplicate things or just drive worrying about championship or result. Just driving, doing my best.”