Wolff still does not rule out Verstappen for 2025
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff does not rule out the possibility of signing three-time world champion Max Verstappen as a replacement of Lewis Hamilton, but he admited that there is only a slight chance for that to happen.
Ferrari made a shock announcement at the start of February, confirming the arrival of Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion was going to race for Mercedes until at least the end of the 2025 F1 season, but he activated an exit clause that allowed him to leave the Brackley-based outfit where he secured six of his seven F1 world titles.
Since the announcement of Hamilton's departure, Mercedes has been searching for the best replacement for the seven-time world champion. Although Carlos Sainz, who has to leave Ferrari because of Hamilton's arrival, was mentioned on several occasions, the Spaniard has already signed at Williams for the next two years.
The most obvious choice as a replacement looks Italian F2 sensation Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who has been in the Mercedes' junior driver academy for several years.
Mercedes team-boss Toto Wolff confirmed that the 17-year-old Italian is his first candidate for the second seat alongside George Russell.
"The criteria for our next driver are simple: we want the best available. At the moment, my first option is Kimi Antonelli."
Expanding on Antonelli's talent, Wolff said: "Of course there are risks. It's not so much about his talent as a driver, but Antonelli would be exposed to the media and the skill of George Russell, who is one of the best drivers on the grid.
"But Kimi has huge potential. His speed and talent are already at a certain level; he just lacks the experience."
Wolff is aware of the fact that Antonelli will need some time to get up to speed and gain experience if he finds his way into Formula One.
"If you look at Piastri's progress, it took him a year and a half to compete for victory at the level of teammate Lando Norris. We want to try to do the same with Kimi. In 2025, with the 2026 changes, we'll still be in transition, so it's a good season to train him on our team."
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen has also been mentioned as a surprise replacement for Hamilton. Although the Dutchman has a multi-year contract with Red Bull, internal turmoil has led to instability inside the Milton Keynes-headquartered outfit which fuelled speculation about Verstappen's possible shock departure.
Although Red Bull has confimed that Verstappen will stay with the Austro-British outfit, Wolff does not rule out the possibility of he Dutchman joining Mercedes.
"An alternative scenario is of course Verstappen, but at the moment it doesn't seem realistic to me. I will continue to observe the market. I'm not sure how the situation will evolve at Red Bull," concluded Wolff.
