‘The future belongs to the youth,’ must have been Toto Wolff’s thought when he signed 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli on Saturday. The Italian made his debut in Formula 2 this year, but will already be moving up to the premier class next year. Antonelli has the daunting task of replacing former world champion Lewis Hamilton. According to Wolff, the young talent was always the best option.
Lewis Hamilton announced in February that he would be making the switch to Ferrari. In the months that followed, Formula 1 fans had to wait a long time for news from Brackley. We now know that team boss Toto Wolff has signed 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli; the Italian talent, currently still active in Formula 2, signed his first contract on Saturday.
It was not always certain that Wolff would entrust his Formula 1 seat to Antonelli. Multiple praises for Max Verstappen suggested that Mercedes also had an interest in the Dutch champion. However, according to Wolff, Antonelli was always the first choice. “I made my decision five minutes after Lewis Hamilton told me he was going to Ferrari,” he told the media in Monza on Saturday.
‘These Two Are Our Future’
“Of course, we discussed other options and kept Max Verstappen in mind,” he explained. “We could never rule out that he would become available, given the situation at Red Bull. However, instinctively, this is the line-up I’ve always wanted, especially knowing that we were preparing Kimi Antonelli for Formula 1.”
“These two are the future,” concluded Wolff. “They are and will remain Mercedes drivers, which is why we have long-term contracts. This is where we stand as a team today; we want to continue with these two. The most important thing is to see how Russell and Antonelli settle in. At this moment, however, I foresee few problems; I think we will only improve.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli Joins Mercedes Formula 1 Team in 2025
Andrea Kimi Antonelli will drive for the Mercedes Formula 1 team from 2025, replacing seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Read all about the Italian GP in Monza here.
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