Lewis Hamilton’s surprise move to Ferrari will shake up the driver line-up at several Formula 1 teams.
Young talent Kimi Antonelli emerges as a potential frontrunner for Mercedes’ top spot once Lewis Hamilton, the esteemed British driver, moves to Ferrari before the 2025 season.
Team principal Toto Wolff reportedly feels disappointed about not securing Max Verstappen and is determined to avoid a similar situation with the promising driver from the team’s driver academy.
Mercedes had both Hamilton and his partner George Russell under contract until the end of the 2025 season following their recent agreements last summer.
However, Hamilton invoked an exit clause, signing a preliminary contract with Ferrari and paving his way to Maranello at the end of the upcoming season.
This leaves Wolff facing a significant challenge as the driver market enters a frenzied phase.
While Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon, and Alex Albon are mentioned as potential choices for the Mercedes team, the team principal might also consider internal options to find Hamilton’s successor.
According to The Race, the prevailing belief within the Mercedes camp is that Antonelli, who will make his Formula Two debut with PREMA Racing this season, represents the future star of the team.
Wolff, on a personal level, is determined to avoid a repeat of the Verstappen situation, where he had the chance to lure him away from Red Bull before his Formula 1 career.
“I think the most important thing at this stage is for him to focus on F2. If we start to distract him or spread rumors in the media, it won’t help his F2 campaign,” Wolff said.
Charles #Leclerc warns Lewis Hamilton as he speaks out about his move to #Ferrari.
“He only recently transitioned from karting a few years ago, and he’s not even 18 yet. So I would prefer not to speculate about Kimi entering F1 at this point.”
Initially, the Mercedes chief had planned for Antonelli to spend two years at Williams after graduating, allowing him to gain experience before following a similar path to Russell’s development.
However, to avoid a repeat of the Verstappen situation, the young Italian driver might find himself thrust into the spotlight as early as the next season.
According to the Source formula1news.co.uk