Kimi Antonelli's father sends heartfelt message to Toto Wolff after first F1 victory

Marco Antonelli emotionally thanked Toto Wolff and Mercedes after watching son Kimi Antonelli secure his maiden Formula 1 victory at the Chinese Grand Prix

Kimi Antonelli's father, Marco Antonelli, thanked Mercedes team chief and CEO Toto Wolff after he watched his son claim his maiden Formula 1 victory at the Chinese Grand Prix.

The 19-year-old started the second race of the season from pole position and battled against his team-mate George Russell and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to defend his lead.

While he fought back tears during his post-race interview, his father was equally as emotional.

"Yes, of course. Toto did everything," Antonelli Sr told Sky Sports F1, to which Wolff responded: "No, no. I think we did it together. Kimi, as a driver and as a personality, is because of the family. His mother, Veronica, and Marco, it's such a solid base of a family. The karting, the many hours in the car, going to every track. Congratulations."

Antonelli added: "We tried to do the best for our son, but Mercedes did a big job. I can say only thank you.

"You know, we had a moment, we talked about it. We were in Monza, Milano, two years ago. And I said, 'do you think Kimi is ready for the seat when he was in F2?' And [Toto] said, 'I think he is'. And I said, 'Well then, let's do it.' But at the end, the best is Toto."

Marco Antonelli, father of Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photo by: Kym Illman / Getty Images

While Antonelli had reached a huge career milestone at the Shanghai International Circuit, his father is realistic about the expectations of the young Italian driver fighting for the drivers' championship.

"I don't know, honestly, because Kimi is younger and I think that he's not perfect in this moment. He's a good driver, of course, but the experience is very important.

"And I think that George is a very super driver with a lot of experience, and it's difficult to beat him."