Jul.29 (GMM) Toto Wolff is now freely admitting that Kimi Antonelli is his “first possibility” to interchange the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton from 2025.
Earlier, Max Verstappen was clearly the Mercedes boss’s no 1 decide to pair with George Russell subsequent 12 months – however the triple world champion now appears locked into his Pink Bull contract at the least till 2026.
Wolff advised RTBF at Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday: “However you by no means know. We now have a teen who’s arriving and who could be very sturdy.”
That teen is 17-year-old Italian Antonelli, a Wolff-groomed protege whose current type has been bettering in his first season of Formulation 2.
“I’ll proceed to watch the market,” Wolff has now advised Autosportwereld, a Belgian publication. “I’m not positive how issues will evolve additional at Pink Bull.
“The standards for our subsequent driver is straightforward – we would like the very best driver out there. In the mean time, my first possibility is Kimi Antonelli,” he stated.
Some assume Antonelli has already been advised he’s secured the seat, significantly with Carlos Sainz now stated to be on the verge of a Williams contract.
“Different drivers would signal a one or two-year contract, however that’s not sufficient for us,” Wolff insisted. “So I’m comfortable to take a danger with Antonelli, as a result of it’s a calculated danger.
“In the event you take a look at the progress of (Oscar) Piastri, it took him a 12 months and a half to compete for victory on the stage of Lando Norris. We need to attempt to do the identical with Kimi.
“In 2025, with the modifications in 2026, we’ll be in transition anyway,” the Austrian added. “So it’s an excellent season to convey him into our crew.
“After all, there are dangers, however they don’t seem to be a lot in his expertise as a driver. He could be uncovered to the media and the abilities of George Russell, probably the greatest drivers on the grid. However Kimi has huge potential,” stated Wolff.
“His velocity and expertise are already at a sure stage, he simply lacks the expertise.”
So with Russell already signed, Wolff is now seeing the upside of Hamilton’s shock resolution early this 12 months to change to pink overalls for 2025 and past.
“I’ve all the time seen the departure of a driver as a brand new alternative for the crew,” the Mercedes boss insists. “Change is nice – it’s a must to embrace it.
“When Lewis advised me the information, I initially thought ‘Why now and never midway via the season?’ However he thought it was crucial not just for him, but additionally for the crew.
“We don’t need to rush,” Wolff concluded. “We need to wait to make the appropriate resolution.”
