Lewis Hamilton is set to leave Mercedes after the end of the 2024 F1 season. The 2024 driver transfer market has sparked intense debate for several reasons. Recent events have led to an open seat at Mercedes for the upcoming season, and the former world champion in 2016 has expressed his thoughts on the matter.
A promising candidate to fill the seat is a junior driver from Mercedes who has been attracting a lot of attention. However, Nico Rosberg believes it would not be in Mercedes’ best interest to bring the 17-year-old prodigy on board. Rosberg argues that Mercedes should explore other options instead of Antonelli.
Antonelli currently competes in F2, and Rosberg suggests closely monitoring his performance this season to determine his future in F1. In addition to Antonelli, Mercedes is considering several drivers for the 2025 seat, including , , , and the former four-time world champion, .
While Rosberg advises against hiring Kimi Antonelli for 2025, he proposes a potential solution for the Italian driver. Rosberg believes Williams could provide the perfect opportunity for Antonelli to gain experience in F1. Toto Wolff, known for his strong connections with the Williams team, could facilitate this move.
Williams has a history of providing Mercedes with drivers ready for F1, as demonstrated by the successful transitions of and . Taking all these factors into consideration, Rosberg’s suggestion could be a low-risk method for Mercedes to assess Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s potential in F1. This approach would allow Wolff and his team to make an informed decision about the future of the 17-year-old driver, and the coming months will provide more clarity on Antonelli’s next steps.
