Toto Wolff makes final decision on Lewis Hamilton replacement as date for announcement set
Toto Wolff has reportedly finalized his decision on who will replace Lewis Hamilton as part of the Mercedes Formula 1 team, with Kimi Antonelli set to join George Russell in the 2025 driver lineup.
This announcement is expected to be made public during the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
The speculation surrounding Antonelli’s potential move to Mercedes gained traction after Fernando Alonso declined the opportunity to join the team, choosing instead to stay with Aston Martin on a long-term basis.
While Antonelli had been in the running, Wolff initially had his sights set on Max Verstappen as the top choice for the seat.
However, a key factor in Verstappen’s contract that could have allowed him to leave Red Bull alongside Helmut Marko was removed, significantly reducing Mercedes’ chances of acquiring the Dutch driver for the 2025 season.
As a result, Antonelli emerged as the leading candidate to take the vacant seat.
According to a report by Autosprint, Wolff has now finalized his decision to bring Antonelli on board as Russell’s teammate, with the formal announcement expected to be made at the 17-year-old Italian’s home race in early September.
Despite questions about Wolff’s unwavering belief in Antonelli’s abilities—especially after a difficult start to his rookie Formula Two season where he was expected to be competitive from the outset—Antonelli managed to turn his season around during the mid-point. His first sprint race victory in challenging wet conditions at Silverstone helped ease some of the pressure, and he further solidified his reputation with an impressive performance in the feature race at the next round in Hungary.
These accomplishments seem to have reaffirmed Wolff’s faith in Antonelli, ultimately leading to the decision to bring the young driver into the Mercedes team for 2025.
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