Lewis Hamilton's replacement, Toto Wolff, faces a challenging challenge.
Although Lewis Hamilton has informed Toto Wolff of his preferred partner for the upcoming season, it is unclear who will replace him when he leaves Mercedes at the end of the current campaign.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli taking over at Mercedes is a suggestion that Lewis Hamilton has endorsed. Hamilton is getting ready to move to Ferrari for the upcoming season, but it is still unclear who will replace him. Antonelli, who is only 17 years old, forwent Formula 3 in favor of entering Formula 2 this year, and his performances have drawn attention.
With the way the youthful genius has been dominating the junior categories, it appears that an F1 berth is imminent. Speaking at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Hamilton made it apparent that potential shouldn’t be limited by age, according to the Express.
In response to a question concerning Carlos Sainz, who is giving up his position at Ferrari for Hamilton, he stated: “Carlos is a great driver, so I think he would be a positive for any team wherever he goes.”
“Honestly, I have no idea what Toto’s plans are, but for me, taking on a youngster, if it was my role, I would probably take on Kimi.”
Toto Wolff, the manager of the Mercedes team, knocked down rumors, making it clear that, in contrast to certain reports, they haven’t asked for Antonelli’s super license to be granted before he turns 18. Wolff clarified, saying,
“He needs to focus on his F2 campaign, therefore it doesn’t do him any favors that so many tales were made. He’s testing a lot for us in order to get him up to speed.”
Additionally, he stated that the choice of Hamilton’s replacement is not likely to happen very soon, speculating that it would take weeks or even months. We didn’t contact the FIA in an attempt to obtain an early release.”
Wolff cautions against placing undue pressure on Antonelli’s youthful shoulders, saying, “We have been hyping the young man for a while now. He is only 17 years old, yet he has the potential to be a fantastic driver in Formula 1.
“He drove an F4 vehicle 14 months ago, and there are a lot of expectations in Italy. We also feel a little bad about talking about him at that point. I believe that rather than getting too caught up in what could or ought to be, we should let him do his F2 thing and produce results.”
He did, however, allude to Mercedes’s interest in him when he said that the company might “shine more with an Italian in our car” in an Imola interview with Sky. Max Verstappen, whose deal with Red Bull runs until 2028, has also been mentioned as a possible Hamilton substitute.
