New Delhi, Sep 10 : Former world champion Nico Rosberg believes Toto Wolff's recent public criticism of Kimi Antonelli is a move by the Mercedes CEO and labelled his former boss as a very calculated man.

Although he admitted he was surprised by Wolff's comments, Rosberg believes it is just a move to put pressure on the Italian driver.

"It's a surprising one, because at the moment, the only choice you really have is to just give Kimi the most time possible in the most calm way possible, and that means also not criticising him publicly.

"And so this change of tone from Toto for the first time ever' usually there's a reason behind it. Toto is very calculated in his comments. Perhaps he's wanting to put some pressure on Kimi and his family to try a different approach, modify their approach and review their approach.

"But the fact of the matter is, Kimi is a generational talent, we all know that, but it's more difficult for him than we all thought so far. And it's a bit strange that it's still so difficult," said Rosberg on ' Sky Sports' The F1 Show'

In what is his first season in Formula 1, Kimi could not have been asked to fill the shoes of anyone bigger than Lewis Hamilton. The 19-year-old has scored 66 points across 16 race starts this season and currently sits in eighth position on the World Driver's Championship table.

Hamilton had labelled Antonelli's outing at Monza, in which he finished at ninth place, as 'underwhelming'.

"Underwhelming this weekend. Underwhelming. You can't put the car in the gravel bed and expect to be there. All of the race was underwhelming. It doesn't change anything on my support and confidence in his future because I believe he's going to be very, very, very good. But today was' underwhelming,' said Wolff.

/IANS