It’s been over five months since Lewis Hamilton announced his move to Ferrari for the next season. However, Toto Wolff has still not made up his mind on who is going to replace the seven-time world champion. F1 pundit Tim Hauraney recently spoke about why this is such a big decision for Wolff, especially with Mercedes prodigy Kimi Antonelli in the mix.
Antonelli is at the top of the list of candidates for the Mercedes seat next year. The 17-year-old Italian driver is highly regarded for his raw talent and rapid rise through the lower categories of Formula racing.
Mercedes was so impressed with him that they skipped Formula 3 altogether, promoting him directly to Formula 2 from Formula Regional. Antonelli’s meteoric rise has earned him comparisons to Max Verstappen, adding to the excitement and expectations surrounding his potential promotion.
During his conversation with Adam Wylde on the ‘Nailing The Apex’ podcast, Hauraney revealed that Wolff finally provided a deadline for the driver announcement. “He [Wolff] was saying by the time Autumn reaches, so we’re probably talking September [is when] I would say he’s going to be looking at making a decision on the second [Mercedes] seat,” Hauraney shared.
Choosing Kimi Antonelli is a tough decision for Wolff despite the hype surrounding the young driver. Antonelli is still very young and relatively inexperienced with Formula 1 machinery. Hauraney too voiced similar concerns as he added,
“I think a big thing for him [Wolff] is just the decision on whether or not to put such a young driver in the seat who may not be ready. And then what happens to that driver if they’re not ready… You kind of break their confidence“.
If that is the thought process Mercedes opt for and do not sign Antonelli, then they could look to get back one of their former drivers.
Wolff has been tipped to bring back Valtteri Bottas
Mercedes has only just begun to find their way back to the top. And that could help Wolff attract Max Verstappen, whom he has been trying to poach from Red Bull for some time now.
And that’s why Adam Wylde thinks that it might be better for Mercedes to hold off promoting Kimi Antonelli to F1 in 2025. Wylde then also discussed an alternative option for Mercedes and that was to bring back Valtteri Bottas for a year and allow Kimi Antonelli more time to develop in Formula 2. He suggested,
“They [Mercedes] could still win something in 2025. They have George Russell. Why not go get Valtteri Bottas for a year and let Kimi Antonelli season again in Formula 2? Let him dominate or see if he can and then see if you’re going to get Max [Verstappen]. And then you have to make a tough decision, but that’s a really good decision to have to make. Do I get an All-Star rookie or an All-Star Formula 1 multiple-time Champion?”
Is this the start of Mercedes’ #F1 future?
Lewis Hamilton’s likely 2025 replacement – teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli – has completed his first day of F1 testing in one of the team’s old cars.
Mercedes F1 pic.twitter.com/K6TNL94U77
— The Race (@wearetherace) April 17, 2024
Hauraney also agreed to hold off on promoting Antonelli to Formula 1 in 2025. This approach would allow Antonelli to gain more experience and confidence before stepping into a full-time Mercedes seat.
Mercedes has already put Antonelli on an extensive testing program in 2024 using two-year-old machinery, as allowed by the rules. This allows the team to evaluate his performance and readiness for Formula 1.
