Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Toto Wolff are associated with the Mercedes team.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff wants to cool the “hyping” up of Kimi Antonelli, as speculation persists over a possible F1 2025 race seat.
With Lewis Hamilton on his way to Ferrari next season, Mercedes has a vacancy to fill in their future driver line-up and talk regarding who will do that consistently puts Antonelli very high on the list.
Mercedes boss says ‘we are little bit guilty’ of hyping up Kimi Antonelli
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
Following his victory in the Formula Regional European Championship, the 17-year-old Italian decided to bypass Formula 3 and instead joined Prema on the Formula 2 grid for the 2024 season. Antonelli is currently holding the sixth position in the Championship, with his notable achievement being a pair of fourth-place finishes in the feature race.
Wolff has spoken very highly of their star prospect, confirming him as a contender for Hamilton’s seat, with Hamilton himself having said that Antonelli would be his pick to replace him if he was making the call.
Despite the buildup and talk surrounding Antonelli, Wolff has urged for calm and believes it is unfair to rush the teenager. He also admits that they are somewhat responsible for fueling the hype.
When questioned by various media outlets, including PlanetF1.com, about whether Antonelli is living up to expectations, Wolff responded by saying, “We have been building up the hype around this young man for quite some time now. He has the potential to become an exceptional Formula 1 driver in the future, but let’s not forget that he is only 17 years old.”
“It has been 14 months since he drove an F4 car, and there is a great deal of anticipation in Italy. We must admit, we feel slightly guilty discussing him at such an early stage.”
“I believe it would be best to allow him to focus on his F2 objectives, deliver outcomes, and avoid getting excessively preoccupied with what might or should happen.”
“Considering George’s achievements of winning F3 and F2 in his first year, it’s worth noting that Kimi has also excelled in the junior series and is currently competing in F2. It will be interesting to see how they both perform.”
“He will eventually join Formula 1, but it’s important to avoid rushing his progress.”
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Wolff has a general inclination to not rush when it comes to finding Hamilton’s replacement.
The team boss was questioned about Carlos Sainz, who is also being considered for a Mercedes seat, as Hamilton will be taking his place at Ferrari.
Wolff was informed about Sainz’s potential move to Sauber, which is expected to be rebranded as Audi in 2026. Consequently, he was questioned about whether this would impact his decisions regarding the driver market.
Wolff, instead of expressing resistance, shows a willingness to wait and accept these compromises.
Wolff stated, “Carlos holds a significant position in Formula 1, having emerged as a victorious Ferrari racer over the past two years. Moreover, he possesses immense expertise and experience.”
I believe I mentioned the importance of being willing to compromise in specific situations and being patient to observe how things unfold during the summer and into autumn.
We are fortunate to have George as our exceptional driver. It’s fantastic! As for his teammate, we can leave that decision for later.
In addition, Wolff has been vocal about his interest in securing the services of Max Verstappen, the three-time World Champion from Red Bull. This further enhances the range of potential driver choices.
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