After a stunning championship win from his young driver Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has criticised the "entitled" drivers and "endless moaners on the radio" in Formula 1. He believes this year's world champion should be a role model for them.

The Italian finished third at the Mexico City Grand Prix, but that was enough for him to win the title with four races to spare, making him the youngest champion in history.

Speaking to the media at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez after the race, Wolff asked to add one last point as the session was being brought to a close, and used it to argue that Antonelli’s success showed a different way of winning.

The Mercedes boss did not name any of the drivers he was referring to.

“Let me say one more word now that I have you all here, because I discussed it with someone else out there - with Mohammed [Ben Sulayem] actually. This notion of win at all costs, selfish, opportunistic, ruthless for your own benefit, that model of racing driver has died.

"We have a new champion that represents values like humility, like integrity, loyalty, respect, being himself. Should be a role model for many other young drivers in junior formulas. And should be a role model for the few entitled ones in Formula 1, the endless moaners on the radio, the ones that complain, the ones that crash.

"Look at this kid of 20 years and then think what you can do in order to improve. That’s the message to these kids. That is how the FIA, that Mohammed, that Stefano [Domenicali], that’s how I would want to see racing drivers in the future. That is modern Formula 1. Kimi represents the modern Formula 1 driver because of those values, not only because of his talent. That comes, but the talent is there with everyone, but you got to be a good person too.

"He has demonstrated that you can beat everyone out there by being a good person.”

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photo by: Bryn Lennon / Formula 1 via Getty Images

Wolff also revealed what he had told Antonelli on the eve of the race about the career ahead of him, using a comment made by Lapo Elkann about his grandfather, the late Fiat boss Gianni Agnelli.

“You know what I said to him yesterday is Lapo Elkann said to me about his granddad that he was able to stay relevant his whole life. And I think that’s a great thing to say.

"And what I said to him is: together we have to try for you to stay relevant all life. You have 25 years to go because you’re going to drive longer than anybody else did before. And I want to look back in these many years and say, you stayed relevant all your life. It wasn’t a one-time wonder, but we all worked together in a way that we helped him to improve where he can improve, get him better.

"There’s not many that stay relevant. Also world champions that's not stayed relevant that today, nobody’s taking a selfie of anymore. And I think this is what I would want to achieve with you.”

Antonelli has won nine races in his second F1 season, having been promoted by Mercedes to replace Lewis Hamilton in 2025.