Toto Wolff has mentioned Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s possibilities of changing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.
Hamilton’s swap to Ferrari in 2025 means Wolff is confronted with the monumental determination of learn how to change a seven-time System 1 champion.
Choices span two-time F1 champ Fernando Alonso all the way down to Antonelli, the 17-year-old on Mercedes’ books who’s tipped for a shiny future.
“We acquired that curveball thrown at us, with Lewis, to start with of February,” Wolff mentioned as he thought-about which driver to interchange him with.
“And I wish to do the other when selecting the motive force for subsequent 12 months.
“It’s clear Kimi has been in our junior class since he was 11. Now we have had nice pleasure in watching him develop as a younger man, and rising by means of the ranks.
“However I additionally wish to take a bit little bit of stress off him – he’s 17.
“He’s gained all the things he wanted to win in his rookie season, however I believe he’s going to be a System 1 driver.
“He’s going to be a really, very profitable driver in System 1 however he hasn’t began his System 2 marketing campaign but.
“They’d a tough check within the first days in Bahrain. We’ll see how this develops.”
Wolff insisted that he is not going to be rushed into making a name.
“I wish to wait out the primary few [F2] races which are truly going to go together with System 1,” he mentioned.
“There are various excellent pilots in System 1 obtainable for subsequent 12 months.
“That is all going to return into the equation when deciding on the motive force line-up for subsequent 12 months. However that’s not going to occur anytime quickly.”
The prodigious Antonelli was first noticed by James Vowles, beforehand of Mercedes, and now Williams’ staff principal.
That hyperlink has sparked rumours that Antonelli may earn his first F1 call-up with Williams, earlier than later graduating to Mercedes, taking the identical pathway as George Russell.
Vowles was questioned about taking Antonelli subsequent 12 months.
“I’ve little question that Kimi will likely be in F1,” he responded.
“He’s completed extremely effectively in his junior sequence. However that does not imply he will likely be in Williams, essentially.
“I consider in investing in youth. However I am going to take individuals on advantage into the organisation.
“I am lucky sufficient to have two juniors myself, in F2 and in F3.
“We’re beginning to construct a programme that could be a smart programme to develop THE subsequent technology of drivers.
“Within the case of Toto, he is within the place that you’d hope.
“He is one in every of, if not the perfect, staff on the grid, with a spread of choices obtainable to him.
“From my perspective, it is extra about trying what occurs going ahead.
“I’ve Alex Albon right here subsequent 12 months beneath contract and I’ve Logan Sargeant clearly beneath contract as effectively, together with juniors.
“It is only a query of seeing how all the things performs out throughout the following six months.”
However Vowles did emphasise the potential brilliance of Antonelli.
“Once you’re taking care of a junior who’s 11, you don’t have any concept that they’re going to be unbelievable, or maybe good, nice or common,” he defined.
“However, with him, you would see early on within the F4 days that he was creating exceptionally effectively.”
