Max Verstappen strongly defends Kimi Antonelli after Toto Wolff's scathing "underwhelming" verdict

Max Verstappen has expressed his support for under-fire Andrea Kimi Antonelli after a subpar Italian Grand Prix result for the 18-year-old. Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff had criticized the Italian rookie's performance at Monza, calling it "underwhelming."

Antonelli had a tough time in front of his home fans. He spun out of practice 2 on Friday and had a shabby race on Sunday. The 18-year-old lost multiple positions off the start to go from P6 to P10 in a couple of laps, received a black-and-white warning flag for multiple track limit violations later in the race, and a separate five-second penalty for running Williams driver Alex Albon off the track while battling for position.

Antonelli eventually finished the race in P9. Max Verstappen, who contrastingly had a dominant weekend and converted pole into victory at the Italian GP, shared a message of support for his young Mercedes rival. In it, the Dutchman mentioned that he sees glimpses of his 17-year-old self, who debuted in F1 with Toro Rosso in 2015, in young Antonelli.

"Is he going through a difficult period? Yes, that's true. But I think what's happening now is completely normal. The problem is that some people might be making more of it than necessary. Making mistakes in your first season is just part of it.

Honestly, that's what I like about him: he doesn't take things lightly, he always gives his all. That reminds me a bit of myself," Verstappen said via RN365.

Though Toto Wolff had affirmed his belief in Antonelli's long-term prospects, he used the word "underwhelming" four times in a short post-race analysis to describe the 18-year-old's performance at the Italian GP.

Max Verstappen urges Mercedes to show 'patience' with Andrea Kimi Antonelli

Andrea Kimi Antonelli with Max Verstappen at the F1 Grand Prix of Canada - Source: Getty

Max Verstappen has emphasized that Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes need to be patient before their partnership can take off. The 18-year-old has the pressure of filling the humongous shoes of seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton in his rookie season, and that too in a technical era Mercedes has failed to master.

Verstappen acknowledged that Antonelli has the talent required to ace this F1 challenge, but patience needs to be the name of the game for him right now.

"Of course, he could do better, but I know how talented he is. You can see that straight away. He just needs some patience, and I think everyone needs that," the Red Bull driver said.

"It's not easy to start straight away at a top team. Especially not when you're not competing for many victories yet. When you get into a winning car, you automatically feel a bit more comfortable. But I'm not worried, he'll be fine. He just needs a bit more time," Verstappen added.

In his rookie season, Andrea Kimi Antonelli has what Max Verstappen didn't in his rookie year - a podium finish. Though the situations are worlds apart, with Toro Rosso being an average midfield team when Verstappen joined them versus Mercedes being in contention for better finishes this year, Antonelli's performance has been promising.