Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has revealed that teenage driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli is his “first option” to replace Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 Formula 1 season. Hamilton will leave the team at the end of this year to join Ferrari, leaving a seat alongside George Russell.
Antonelli, who turned 17 in August, has been fast-tracked through the junior ranks by Mercedes and is currently competing in Formula 2, skipping Formula 3 entirely. Despite his Prema team struggling for pace, the Italian sits seventh in the drivers’ standings.
Speaking at the Belgian Grand Prix, Wolff told Autosportwereld: “The criteria for our next driver are simple – we want the best driver available. At the moment, my first option is Kimi Antonelli. Of course, there are risks. They are not so much in his talent as a driver, but Antonelli would be exposed to the media and to the skills of George Russell.”
Wolff acknowledged that signing Max Verstappen remains an alternative, but deemed it unrealistic. He added: “An alternative scenario is, of course, Verstappen, but at the moment that doesn’t seem realistic to me. So I’m happy to take a risk with Antonelli, because it’s a calculated risk.”
With major regulation changes due in 2026, Wolff sees 2025 as an ideal season for Antonelli to learn in F1. He concluded: “I will continue to observe the market – I am not sure how things will evolve further at Red Bull.”
