Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff has revealed he regrets throwing rookie Kimi Antonelli in at the deep end at last season’s Italian Grand Prix.

The teenager was handed the chance to show what he could do in front of his home fans during FP1 on the same weekend he was confirmed as the man to replace Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton.

But it quickly turned into a nightmare debut, with Antonelli slamming into the barriers and cutting his afternoon short at the wheel of George Russell’s Mercedes.

And speaking to media at the Austrian GP last month, Wolff admitted he made a mistake in putting his driver on the track on a weekend full of high emotion.

Antonelli has bounced back to enjoy a positive rookie campaign, with his crowning moment undoubtedly a third-place finish in Canada back in June, and Wolff has been impressed with his progress so far.

The contracts of both Antonelli and team-mate Russell will expire at the end of the year, and with Max Verstappen reportedly set to become available, one driver will have to step aside if Wolff makes a move for the four-time champion.

For their part, neither Russell or Antonelli have appeared too troubled by the ongoing speculation, with both simply focused on what they can do in the here and now.

That form has tailed off in recent weeks, meaning he is under considerable pressure to prove he is still deserving of a seat heading into the second half of the campaign.