Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has defended Kimi Antonelli's nightmare Dutch Grand Prix weekend, saying highs and lows are to be expected in a teenager's rookie season.
Antonelli's race came to an end on Sunday when he crashed into the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc at Turn 3, forcing both cars to retire.
The Italian, who is the youngest driver on the grid at 19 years of age, ran as high as sixth during the race after qualifying 11th, but was playing catch up all weekend after a mistake in first practice saw him beach his Mercedes in the gravel.
Nearly one year on from Mercedes' confirmation that Antonelli would replace Lewis Hamilton this year, Wolff said a roller-coaster first season was always expected.
"When we made it clear last year in Monza that we would give him the opportunity, we were also saying that we would give him a year of learning," Wolff said. "And then there would be moments where we'd tear our hair out and there would be other moments of brilliance. And I think this weekend pretty much sums that up.
"The mistake in FP1, clearly something that puts you on the back foot for all of the weekend. And then in the race, these moments of great driving, you know, once he was in free air, he was behind the McLaren, the quickest car, caught up and then again was involved in that accident that unfortunately meant the end for Charles' race and also for Kimi's race. But we want him to, you know, go for the moves, obviously.
"So, up and downs, but I was absolutely expecting that from this season and every one of those days is going to be a learning for next year. We're not fighting for a constructors' championship -- of course, it's P2 and P3 that is at stake, but this has less relevance than next year when it's important to score the points."
Asked if the pressure of driving for Mercedes had led to more mistakes than might be expected in a normal rookie season, Wolff pointed to the fact Antonelli is still just 19 and was 18 when he made his debut in F1 earlier this year.
"It's not only the rookie season, what we forget is the decision we took was to put an 18-year-old in the car that had barely two and a half years of single-seater racing in him," Wolff added. "When you see him, he's still a boy that we've thrown into this environment.
"I've seen him now, and you just want to hug him and cuddle him because he has that talent, the raw speed that is in him.
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"He copes well. But that's also because he's so young, I guess. He doesn't see it as a big catastrophe, impeaching the car in FP1 in minute five. So, positives and negatives, but we were conscious. Rookie and 18-year-old, when we put him in the car.
"That combo certainly gives it some harsh moments."
Although Mercedes has yet to make an official announcement on its driver line-up for 2026, Wolff said Antonelli and teammate George Russell will remain at the team next season.
Confirmation of the news has been expected since Max Verstappen made clear he will remain at Red Bull next year, but Wolff said minor details of Russell's contract are still being negotiated.
"I always say there's not going to be any big news because we are doing this: we are continuing with both of them, of course," Wolff said of Antonelli and Russell.
"With George, there are a few things where we want to optimise. Some of the travelling and the marketing days. How many hours we are putting. He's an experienced driver.
"For us, it's always important to talk about it. We want to have the best performance of the drivers. And I think we've given both of them quite a strain with marketing activities and media activities.
"And this is how we are, in a way, recalibrating. Is there going to be an announcement in Monza? No.
"But I don't think it's going to even be a big announcement. It's just going to give you [the media] the heads up and say we've put a signature on the agreement."