Toto Wolff refuses to consider 17-year-old Kimi Antonelli as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement as there are ‘fantastic drivers in F1’

The 52-year-old is in a trouble to replace an outgoing Lewis Hamilton soon.

Toto Wolff refuses to consider 17-year-old Kimi Antonelli as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement as there are ‘fantastic drivers in F1’

Kimi Antonelli and Toto Wolff, via IMAGO

The announcement of Lewis Hamilton to leave Mercedes had created waves across the paddock and left team principal Toto Wolff with a challenge to fill the void created by the Briton. A name suggested by many to replace the outgoing Briton is the young Kimi Antonelli. However, the team boss has given his views on whether Antonelli is a prospect for the team.

With the departure of the seven-time champion, the Silver Arrows face a tough challenge to replace him with a suitable driver. This responsibility lies on the Austrian’s shoulder now. On the other hand, the Italian driver is a Mercedes Junior Driver and is skipping the F3 series entirely to join the F2 grid this year. Now, Wolff has given his opinion on whether Antonelli would be an option for him or not.

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He is going to be in F1 and he is going to be very successful, but he is 17 years old and has not started F2, and there are also fantastically prepared drivers in F1. You have to let the first races pass before making decisions.
Toto Wolff said as reported by @junaidsamodien

Wolff was speculative about considering the Italian to replace Hamilton as he is just 17-years old. Also, the Austrian has a lot of options on his table ranging from the experienced Fernando Alonso to the young gun of Antonelli. It would require an amazing season by the Italian to force his way onto the F1 grid and turn Wolff’s attention towards him as he is a rookie.

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Is Kimi Antonelli’s junior career enough to warrant him a seat with Mercedes?

Antonelli is a 17-year-old junior driver who is under the management of Mercedes. The Italian has had a stunning junior career throughout his time racing. However, one must wonder, are his acheievments enough to land Antonelli a seat in the top team.

Kimi Antonelli
Kimi Antonelli (via Mercedes AMG-Petronas F1)

The blazing fast Antonelli had been making headlines in his time in single-seeter racing. The Italian won the Italian F4 and Formula Regional Middle East championships in 2022. Following that, he promoted to FRECA and won the championship at Zandvoort and dominated the whole championship.

The young Italian is now preparing for the upcoming season in F2, which could lead him to a F1 seat if he performs well enough. However, a cureball may also be introduced if Antonelli goes on to win the championship as a rookie. Then, a lot of teams would have eyes on the Italian, and a move to the Silver Arrows may seem possible.

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