According to F1 paddock source Will Buxton, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has opted to start the team’s prodigy Andrea Kimi Antonelli in lieu of Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Since the British driver revealed that he would be joining Ferrari in February after activating a contract break option, Wolff has been looking for Hamilton’s replacement.
Verstappen, retiring four-time championship winner Sebastian Vettel, and Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz have all been connected to the open position.
Verstappen is unlikely to leave Red Bull given Mercedes’ current struggles, while Sainz isn’t thought to be in the competition for the position despite having won two races and been on the podium in three others this season.
In an effort to learn from his previous failures, F1 commentator Buxton claims that the Austrian supremo is now willing to take a big gamble by giving Antonelli, 17, the opportunity to drive alongside George Russell the following season.
“Antonelli will be visiting Mercedes. “I believe Toto has decided that he wants Antonelli to take over,” Buxton stated in an interview with The Red Flags Podcast. “because he is p***ed off. He is furious that he did not give Max the chance to succeed in 2014. Hence, you seated Antonelli.
A perfect chance for Mercedes
With four races completed, the Silver Arrows have only amassed 34 points in the constructors’ standings, reflecting their poor start to the season. Hamilton and Russell have found the W15 to be more problematic than they initially anticipated.
Furthermore, according to Buxton, Antonelli—who is presently competing in Formula 2 with Prema Racing—may be able to adjust better to the demands and pressures of racing in Formula One thanks to this.
According to Buxton, “’25 is a write-off for [Mercedes] anyway, until the new regulations in ’26.” “Therefore, you bring him in, put no pressure on him, and help him get to know the team, collaborate with George, and grasp the essence of Mercedes.”
Wolff had already hinted that he would be depending on Antonelli for the upcoming season when he scheduled a lengthy test at Silverstone for the Italian driver of the W12, their 2021 vehicle.
And the boy acknowledged that even though he drove over 310 kilometers on track and was hit by snowfall on the first day, he enjoyed the experience.
“It’s my first day driving an F1 car, and it’s been amazing.” “I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it,” Antonelli declared in a video that was posted to Mercedes’ official X account.
