Lewis Hamilton’s decision to leave Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025 puts Mercedes in a precarious position. Replacing a seven-time World Champion is no easy feat, and Team Principal Toto Wolff is scrambling to complete his driver lineup before the start of next season. Wolff has several options available on paper but former Haas boss Guenther Steiner blames Hamilton for not making things easy for the Austrian.
Mercedes’ options may be plentiful but Wolff has to be careful before making a call. On one hand, they have Kimi Antonelli, one of the most exciting youngsters in the racing world. However, promoting him could hamper his development and Mercedes wants to tread carefully.
On the other hand, more experienced drivers (like Carlos Sainz) are asking for multi-year contracts, something Wolff is finding difficult to agree to. By tying an older driver for multiple years, Wolff risks losing Antonelli who could jump at an opportunity presented by other teams in the near future.
This is where Steiner’s assessment of Hamilton’s decision comes in. On the Nailing The Apex podcast, the Italian-American said,
“Lewis didn’t make it easy for Toto, put it this way.”
Antonelli was impressive in F4 and Wolff has always labeled him as a star for the future. Steiner, however, points out that the Italian’s F2 season (up until now) has not been “fantastic“, which is why Mercedes would be apprehensive about promoting him to F1. Wolff, meanwhile, has no time to wait and has to decide his 2025 driver lineup soon.
Who else has Mercedes been targeting for 2025?
One of the drivers previously linked to Mercedes was two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso. His manager Flavio Briatore was also spotted having breakfast with Wolff earlier this year, further strengthening the link between the two parties. In the end, Alonso signed a contract extension with Aston Martin instead, and Wolff’s hunt continued.
Carlos Sainz, meanwhile, remains available on the market. The Madrid-born driver will be replaced by Hamilton in 2025 which puts him without a seat for now. At 29, he almost has a decade’s worth of experience and is a three-time race winner in Formula 1. Earlier this month, reports of Mercedes offering a 1+1 year contract to the Spaniard emerged. Sainz, however, was not happy with the length of the contract offered.
— Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) April 11, 2024
Other than Sainz and Antonelli, Mercedes’ remaining reported targets haven’t been a subject of conversation from Wolff’s end yet. The likes of Esteban Ocon and Mick Schumacher have close ties to Wolff. But when it comes to driving for Mercedes, nothing concrete has emerged.
