Toto Wolff has a huge responsibility to fill the seat that Lewis Hamilton will leave vacant after the end of 2024 season. Lewis Hamilton is all set to move to Ferrari after the season ends. The Briton and Mercedes have won several accolades together over the years.
However, After the 2021 season the Silver Arrows team has failed to provide a competetive car. The seven time world champion has been struggling with the car and has only gotten 1 pole position since 2021. All these factors led to the Briton signing with Ferrari in hopes to lift another Championship Trophy.
Toto Wolff only has till the season end to find a replacement for Lewis. The team principla has been in talks with Max Verstappen after the whole controvery surrounding Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. Other than Max Wolff also has a young driver in his radar.
Will Andrea Kimi Antonelli fill Lewis Hamilton’s seat in Mercedes?
Andrea Kimi Antonelli a 17 year old F2 racer is a potential replacement for Lewis Hamilton. While it might be a risky to replace an experience driver like Lewis with someone who is just 17. However, the teenager has shown his talent at multiple oppertunities. He moved directly from F4 to F2 due to his impressive driving and securing Formula Regional Championship and Formula Refional Middle East Titles making him fall under the radar of Toto and Mercedes.
Acording to reports the young driver is set for multiple F1 outing over the 2024 season. The current prema driver will be trained for Formula 1 as a potential switch to the seven time world champion. Antonelli will be coming in for a F1 outing at the Red Bull racing ring for a test. The youngster will be given the opertunity to drive the W12 car to show his skills as part of the auditon.
Acording to reports, Toto Wolff said, “I think it depends also on what Max does. Then we have a young kid [Antonelli] that is very promising and I don’t want to put more extra pressure on him, but it looks like he can be one of the great ones.”
Kimi Antonelli is reportedly the top pick for Mercedes to replace Lewis Hamilton in 2025.#Mercedes #F1 https://t.co/uLXiDkkVAo
— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) April 2, 2024
He added, “But we also don’t want to drown him by jumping so quickly in an F1 car at 17. So there are a few options that we play with him. Obviously, there’s Fernando [Alonso] who is very exciting, and Carlos [Sainz] is very good. So there are a few ones. I’m gonna make the play like a bride – difficult to get!”
While Toto has managed to shortlist 4 candidates. Max Verstappen, Antonelli, Fernando Alonso, and Carlos Sainz are Mercedes’s top choice to replace hamilton and George Russell continuing his contract. While noting is confirmed as of now, it would definitely be interesting to see if young and talented drivers like Andrea Kimi Antonelli would join the grid.