Mercedes Lewis Hamilton’s replacement in 2025 will not be decided upon quickly by Mercedes, but team owner Toto Wolff has stated who he believes is the best prospect.
Toto Wolff acknowledged that his “first option” to succeed Lewis Hamilton is the adolescent Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
George Russell, a seven-time Formula One winner, is going to Ferrari, thus Mercedes will need a new driver to partner him starting in 2019. Furthermore, there has only been one obvious contender the entire time, despite Wolff’s repeated assurances that he won’t be making a snap decision.
Despite still just being 17 years old, Antonelli has risen quickly through the junior levels thanks to Mercedes’ support. Having bypassed Formula Three totally, he is currently in the midst of his first Formula Two season. The Silver Arrows have accelerated him because they believe the young Italian has great promise.
Wolff stated in April that Antonelli was the candidate in the “best position” to take over Hamilton’s soon-to-be-vacant seat. “The criteria for our next driver are simple – we want the best driver available,” he told Autosportwereld this past weekend while in Belgium, demonstrating that his opinion has not altered.
Naturally, there are hazards. Although they don’t really stem from his driving prowess, Antonelli would be exposed to the media and the abilities of George Russell, one of the top drivers in the grid. Kimi, though, has a lot of potential.
He merely requires experience; his talent and speed are already at a certain level.” With eight races remaining in the season, Antonelli is now ranked eighth among F2 drivers.
That’s in spite of the fact that his Prema team has had pace issues all season. Oliver Bearman, a teammate who already has a spot on the 2024 Formula One grid with Haas, is in 15th place with less than half as many points.
Though more rule changes are anticipated in 2026, Wolff sees the upcoming season as the perfect chance for Antonelli, who is still a teenager, to gain experience in Formula One. Even though he acknowledges the likelihood of his audacious scheme to entice Max Verstappen away from Red Bull failing, he still isn’t ready to commit fully just yet.
“Of course, Verstappen is an alternative scenario, but at the moment that doesn’t seem realistic to me,” the Mercedes CEO continued. We don’t think a one- or two-year contract is sufficient, as other drivers would. Because it’s a calculated risk, I’m glad to take it alongside Antonelli.
“If you look at Oscar Piastri’s improvement, it took him a year and a half to challenge Lando Norris, his teammate at McLaren, for the top spot. With Kimi, we would like to try the same thing.
We will still be in transition in 2025 due to the developments in 2026. Thus, this is an excellent season to integrate him into our group. I’ll keep an eye on the market because I’m not sure how Red Bull’s situation will develop going forward.
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