Mercedes’ CEO and Team Principal Toto Wolff expressed optimism for his team’s future success after star driver Lewis Hamilton leaves for Ferrari. Wolff has been preparing for Hamilton’s departure for the past six months, as several drivers have been linked to the coveted silver arrows seat alongside George Russell starting in 2025. However, Wolff acknowledges that replacing a driver of Hamilton’s caliber, both on and off the track, will always be a challenging task.
According to Wolff, Hamilton is not just a driver, but also an icon who brings significant media coverage to Mercedes’ F1 team and the sport as a whole. Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013 after spending six seasons with McLaren, the team that initially signed him as a promising young driver for its Driver Development Programme. During his time with Mercedes, Hamilton became the first World Champion of the V6 hybrid era in 2014, amidst a well-known rivalry with Nico Rosberg, which lasted until Rosberg’s retirement in 2016.
Over the next six seasons, Hamilton went on to win five more titles, tying with Michael Schumacher for the most F1 titles won by a driver. This success elevated Hamilton’s status as one of the most marketable and recognizable athletes worldwide. However, his quest for an eighth title was thwarted in controversial circumstances at the final round in Abu Dhabi in 2021, where he ultimately lost to Max Verstappen, with whom he had a notorious rivalry.
After a challenging period in 2022 and 2023, Hamilton endured over two years without an F1 victory before emotionally triumphing at Silverstone last month. He then inherited the first-place position in Belgium after his teammate Russell was initially declared the winner but later disqualified. Wolff also hinted at the post-Hamilton era as a fresh start for the team, acknowledging that the next important drivers and the level of success they will achieve remain uncertain.
Various drivers have been linked to the vacant role since Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was announced in February. However, an article in the Italian publication Autosprint suggests that rising Formula 2 star Kimi Antonelli could be signed to fill the position. Antonelli, who won the Formula Regional European Championship with 300 points last year, currently sits in 7th place in the F2 Drivers’ standings, 53 points ahead of his F1-bound teammate Oliver Bearman. Antonelli has achieved victories in the Silverstone Sprint and Hungaroring Feature races.
Photo from Lewis Hamilton Instagram
