Toto Wolff says it is too soon to compare his world champion driver Kimi Antonelli to Ayrton Senna but that the Italian may yet develop into a driver comparable to the Brazilian great whom Antonelli grew up idolising.

Antonelli sealed his first Formula One world championship at the Mexican Grand Prix and with a fifth place at Sunday’s São Paulo Grand Prix helped Mercedes secure their ninth constructors’ championship and their first drivers’ and constructors’ double since 2020.

The 20-year-old grew up watching film of Senna’s races, and was inspired by the Brazilian who won three titles before he was killed in a crash at the San Marino GP at Imola in 1994. Antonelli has adopted the No 12 for his car, in honour of the number Senna used in the early part of his career.…