Andrea Kimi Antonelli is still the favorite to take Lewis Hamilton’s place at Mercedes in 2025. With Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, there is now a vacancy at Mercedes that many talented drivers are competing for. However, team boss Toto Wolff is taking his time to make a decision. Among the various options, Antonelli remains one of the top candidates for the position.
Antonelli was previously considered the top choice for a seat at Mercedes in 2025. Even Toto Wolff acknowledged that the 17-year-old driver was in the strongest position to replace Hamilton. Former champion Jacques Villeneuve revealed the true reason behind Antonelli’s consideration.
Villeneuve revealed that Wolff never considered any other options besides Antonelli. The team boss is extremely confident that the Italian driver will join Mercedes next season. This is largely due to Wolff’s ego, as he wants to prove to the world that he made the right decision in choosing Antonelli when he was only 12 years old.
Antonelli quickly achieved success after joining the junior karting league. He is currently competing in Formula 2 and was even supposed to make his Formula 1 debut before turning 18, as requested by Williams. This means that Antonelli has promising prospects of joining the pinnacle of motorsport with either Mercedes or Williams. Villeneuve also shared other insights into Wolff’s thoughts on the matter.
The 1997 world champion admitted that the Austrian boss sees a future world champion in Antonelli. This is one of the many reasons why Antonelli is being considered for a Formula 1 seat next season. However, if he joins Mercedes, he will have to be the team’s second driver, which has been supported by Wolff to fill Hamilton’s shoes.
The addition of Kimi Antonelli could bring a significant change to the currently declining form of Mercedes. The young Italian driver could fit perfectly into the team. The final decision, however, is in the hands of Toto Wolff and will be revealed in the next season. The team has kept their options to replace Hamilton a secret and has maintained total privacy on the matter.
