Toto Wolff's notable public criticism of an "underwhelming" display from Kimi Antonelli at Monza has raised questions over the Italian teenager's future with the team.
Antonelli, who turned 19 in August, has failed to arrest his slump in form in the back-to-back races that followed the sport's summer break.
After finishing 16th at the Dutch Grand Prix, he produced another messy race on home soil at Monza on Sunday to drop from sixth on the grid to ninth at the chequered flag.
While Antonelli actually produced his best qualifying performance since June, Wolff seemed irked by an early second-practice spin into the gravel that cost his driver crucial track time and apparently impacted his readiness for the race.
Wolff, who had previously been steadfast in his support of the youngster he f