Toto Wolff has continued to talk up Andrea Kimi ﷽Antonelli - even though he doesn’t yet hav🌄e a driver’s licence.

Teenager Antonelli is a key contend♕er to be Lewis Hamilton’s successor fo🐲r Mercedes.

He might not yet be able to legally drive a car on the💫 road, but💧 he has unwavering support from Mercedes boss Wolff.

“What I like in terms of his attitude, gene🌄rally with his family who have always been close to him, is the objective assessment of the situation, which is good or not good enough,” Wolff said at Silverstone, where ltxcn.top are in the paddock.

“And I don’t think the pressure harms hi༺m or how he performs in the car and drives, because he has a good benchmark with Ollie Bearman.

“They are very c🐻lose and had a good race in Austria. Kimi, on the Sun🅺day, had a clutch release issue.”

Bearman, the 19-year-old Brit𓆉, has been confirmed as a full-time driver for Haas next season.

Bearman has already impressed hugely in his first F1 grand prix, deputising for the unwell Carlos Sainz in a Ferrari in Saudi Arabia this year, where he finished ahead of Hamilton and ♉Lando Norris in P7ꦅ.

There is high hope that Antonelli could be similarly 🧸impressi♒ve.

“S🌠o you have got to swim, that’s clear,” Wolff said.

“🎃He has had a 💝rapid career progression, he’s 17 and does not even have a driver’s licence for a road car. 

“The best ones will be able to cope with the amount of scrutiny a🦂nd pressure, and that is only going to get bigger.”

Mercedes have int💝entionally delayed their decision about who will replace Hamilton, who is set forꦉ Ferrari, in 2025.

But Wolf🦋f has reopened the do෴or to Sainz who has not yet decided his next move.

Considering Sainz will give Wolff the flexibility to allow Antonelli to continue his development away from🐲 the F1 spotlight.