Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has praised Italian teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli for his impressive victory in his first Formula 2 race last week. However, Wolff maintains that the team will not rush to decide who will replace Lewis Hamilton next season. Despite Hamilton's surprise announcement five months ago that he would be leaving for Ferrari at the end of the year, Mercedes have yet to decide who they will partner George Russell with in 2025.
Wolff has previously expressed an interest in reigning world champion Max Verstappen, should he become available. However, Antonelli, who will turn 18 in August, looks a more likely option for 2025. Antonelli is already a junior driver for the team and is considered one of motorsport's most promising prospects.
Despite a less-than-stellar start to his first season in F2, Antonelli has recently won his first races in the category, potentially significant given the vacant Mercedes F1 seat he is competing for. His impressive wins include the short-form reverse grid sprint race at a rain-soaked Silverstone and the main race in Hungary last Sunday.
Antonelli's performance has been praised by Wolff, who said: “Kimi did a good job and it was a dominant win. With two different tire compounds he was very strong and deserved it. But we never doubted of its rhythm”.
Antonelli is currently 50 points ahead of his F2 team-mate, Britain's Oliver Bearman, in sixth place in the standings. Mercedes has also organized an F1 testing program for the young Italian this year, the data from which will help shape their decision on whether to eventually give him Hamilton's seat.
While there has been speculation about Verstappen's defection to Mercedes, Wolff suggests it is prudent to continue to wait before making a decision on his vacant seat. He said: “In terms of the rest of the driver's market, there's something gut-wrenching that tells me not to rush and I couldn't tell you what it is.”
As well as Antonelli and Verstappen, three-time Grand Prix winner Carlos Sainz, who has lost his Ferrari seat to Hamilton, remains another experienced option for Mercedes to consider.
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