TOTO WOLFF ANNOUNCES F1 DRIVER DECISION ON LEWIS HAMILTON REPLACEMENT
Mercedes F1 CEO Toto Wolff has offered a more decisive assessment regarding the team's search for a Lewis Hamilton replacement.
Prior to the 2024 season, it was announced the Brit would be making the move to Ferrari for 2025.
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Despite signing a new two-year Mercedes contract in the summer of 2023, the 39-year-old opted to activate a clause, allowing him to break free after just one year to fulfil his dream of driving for Ferrari.
Wolff, who has led the team during all six of Hamilton's drivers' championship titles with Mercedes, immediately began the search for a replacement.
Carlos Sainz - who Hamilton is set to replace at Maranello - was immediately touted as an option, alongside F2 driver Kimi Antonelli and reigning world champion Max Verstappen, should the Dutch star wish to leave Red Bull.
Sainz has not yet committed to a team for 2025 and Wolff's latest comments reflect that the Mercedes boss has decided the Spaniard will not be calling Mercedes home next season.
Speaking to Sky Sports Germany, Wolff said: “We just want to concentrate on Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
“He is our future. We want to work for the young drivers. We also said that to Carlos."
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Antonelli, who is 17 years old, currently competes in F2 with Prema Racing, and has been part of the Mercedes junior team since 2019.
The Italian youngster is so highly rated that he skipped F3, having won titles in Italian F4 and the Formula Regional European Championship with Prema.
On Mercedes' final pick for the vacant 2025 seat, Wolff insisted despite the noise around Antonelli, nothing had been finalised.
“We haven’t made a decision yet," he added. "There are others that could also be of interest to us.”
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