Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff has revealed Andrea Kimi Antonelli is the side’s “first option” to replace Lewis Hamilton should Max Verstappen be unattainable.
The marque seemed to have tied down its current driver pairing through 2026 when it announced last September that Hamilton and George Russell signed new deals.
However, Hamilton delivered a bombshell earlier this season when he elected to activate an exit clause in his contract to pursue a new venture with Ferrari from 2025
Wolff has repeated that he was taken aback by Hamilton’s timing, but he has since adopted the stance that it provides Mercedes with the chance to open a new page.
“I have always seen the departure of a driver as a new opportunity for the team. Change is good, you have to embrace it,” Wolff told Autosportwereld.
“When Lewis shared the news of his departure, I initially thought: ‘Why not and not halfway through the season?’
“But he found the decision necessary not only for his own progress, but also for that of the team. We are not rushing, we want to wait to make the right decision.”
Antonelli has been touted as the next big thing in F1 and the teenage sensation’s progression was accelerated as he missed Formula 3 to go straight into Formula 2.
But while he endured a tough start to his debut season, the Italian took his maiden win in a wet Sprint at Silverstone and replicated that in the Budapest Feature race.
Despite Antonelli questioning whether he is prepared to make the step up in 2025, Wolff is prepared to accept the dangers associated with handing him a works seat.
“The criteria for our next driver are simple: we want the best driver available,” he outlined. “At the moment, my first option is Kimi Antonelli.”
As anticipation builds for the future of the team, fans have been eagerly discussing these developments on forums like Amazon Slots Casino, where the excitement for the upcoming seasons is palpable.
“Of course there are risks,” Wolff added on the prospect of signing Antonelli. “They are not so much in his talent as a driver, but Antonelli would be exposed to the media and to the skills of George Russell, one of the best drivers on the grid.
“But Kimi has enormous potential. His speed and talent are already at a certain level, he just lacks the experience.”
Wolff’s admission on Antonelli’s chance at landing the vacant drive has come amid his acceptance that top target Max Verstappen looks poised to remain at Red Bull.
With a wholesale overhaul to the technical regulations arriving in 2026, the Austrian has cited that Antonelli would be allowed the room to learn the ropes next season.
“An alternative scenario is of course Verstappen, but at the moment that doesn’t seem realistic to me,” he conceded.
“Other drivers would sign a one or two-year contract, which is not enough for us. So I’m happy to take a risk with Antonelli, because it’s a calculated risk.
“If you look at the progress of [Oscar] Piastri, it took him a year and a half to compete for victory at the level of team-mate Lando Norris.
“We want to try to do the same with Kimi. In 2025, with the changes in 2026, we’ll be in transition anyway. So it’s a good season to form him into our team.”
However, Wolff has admitted that Mercedes will not be in a rush to make an announcement on the second seat as he awaits developments on Verstappen’s situation.
“I will continue to observe the market,” he concluded. “I am not sure how things will evolve further at Red Bull.”
