Wolff Confirms 2025 Perfect for Antonelli's F1 Start
Jul.29 - Toto Wolff is now freely admitting that Kimi Antonelli is his "first option" to replace the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton from 2025.
Earlier, Max Verstappen was clearly the Mercedes boss's number 1 pick to pair with George Russell next year - but the triple world champion now seems locked into his Red Bull contract at least until 2026.
Wolff told RTBF at Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday: "But you never know. We have a youngster who is arriving and who is very strong."
That youngster is 17-year-old Italian Antonelli, a Wolff-groomed protege whose recent form has been improving in his first season of Formula 2.
"I will continue to observe the market," Wolff has now told Autosportwereld, a Belgian publication. "I am not sure how things will evolve further at Red Bull.
"The criteria for our next driver is simple - we want the best driver available. At the moment, my first option is Kimi Antonelli," he said.
Some think Antonelli has already been told he's secured the seat, particularly with Carlos Sainz now said to be on the verge of a Williams contract.
"Other drivers would sign a one or two-year contract, but that's not enough for us," Wolff insisted. "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 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," the Austrian added. "So it's a good season to bring him into our team.
"Of course, there are risks, but they are not so much in his talent as a driver. He would be exposed to the media and the skills of George Russell, one of the best drivers on the grid. But Kimi has enormous potential," said Wolff.
"His speed and talent are already at a certain level, he just lacks the experience."
So with Russell already signed, Wolff is now seeing the upside of Hamilton's shock decision early this year to switch to red overalls for 2025 and beyond.
"I have always seen the departure of a driver as a new opportunity for the team," the Mercedes boss insists. "Change is good - you have to embrace it.
"When Lewis told me the news, I initially thought 'Why now and not halfway through the season?' But he thought it was necessary not only for him, but also for the team.
"We don't have to rush," Wolff concluded. "We want to wait to make the right decision."
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Only a matter of time until November at the very latest before he gets formally announced as a full-time driver alongside Russell.
1 year contract till MV arrives then
If he goes to Mercedes this marks a change in direction for Torger, the first rookie to drive the Silver/Black cars, its a risk, i can name a few other rookies that have had even better pedigree and flopped in F1, interesting that Torger no-longer bleats out , we have the best driver,engineers and facilities, yeah theyve had a few good races, some lucky id prefer to call them, but nothing has pushed a top driver to sign into the 50p seat why is that? As for Antonelli, his name only came to the front once the dark night-dress said she was off, with King George free in 26, the bosses at Torger Towers better hope Rbs engine is bad, and Audi cant crack it , but recent History tells us a New hybrid engine Merc 2014 can dominate from year one, so nothings guaranteed .
Torger Towers. I like it! Sounds like John Cleese wrote the script! Starring Basil as Torger and Sybil as Louise! Maybe Antonelli could be Manuel ...... it all fits!
Just as MB makes their car competitive again, Louise is off to Ferrari. No chance of another WDC for her!
I don't understand what Tutu sees in young Antonelli. If you look at his racing history, apart from F4 champion in 2022 and a couple of lesser championships last year, Antonelli has only average results in F2 this year to date, with only 1 win in a sprint race and 1 win in a feature race from 20 chances, and is currently only 7th in the F2 Championship.
If I were Tutu, I would give Antonelli another season in F2, so he can show his true talent and worth to the team. I believe placing Antonelli in F1 at this stage of his career is doomed to failure due to his inexperience.
Theres only one Tutu in the Mercedes team 💃 💃 💃
Toto comparing Kimi Antonelli to Oscar Piastri is erroneous. If you look at their histories relative to experience, Oscar won the 2019 Renault Eurocup Championship, in 2020 Oscar won the F3 Championship and in 2021 Oscar won the F2 Championship by a huge margin. He gained all that valuable experience along the way.
Antonelli may be a great talent of the future, but he needs to be nurtured and not thrown in the deep end too soon, or his self confidence will be adversely affected. His name may be Kimi, but he isn't a Raikkonen!