Toto Wolff says he made his choice to promote Andrea Kimi Antonelli five minutes after Lewis Hamilton told him he was leaving for Ferrari.
Hamilton shocked many in Formula 1 with his decision to leave Mercedes for Ferrari, announcing the switch at the start of February despite having signed a new contract only five months earlier. When given that news, Wolff says he knew he wanted to put Antonelli into the seat, although delayed a final decision while exploring the potential of attracting Max Verstappen from Red Bull.
“I made up my mind five minutes after Lewis Hamilton told me he was going to Ferrari,” Wolff said. “Obviously we were discussing with other options, and obviously the Max idea couldn’t be discounted completely looking at what happened at Red Bull, but instinctively that is the lineup that I always wanted. Bearing in mind the fast tracking that we did with Kimi and everything that we did there too, but it was immediately what I wanted to do.”
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With Antonelli joining George Russell, Mercedes has only confirmed its line-up for 2025 at this stage, and Wolff admits there are multiple options in place that don’t guarantee the same pairing beyond that point.
“These two are the future — they have been and will be Mercedes drivers. Therefore we have contracts with George and Kimi that go much longer that are very complicated in terms of options, etc. This is a pressure cooker, Mercedes always has been a pressure cooker, but this is where we stand as a team today, we want to go with these two.
“Like we have done in the past, we have always had very short contracts. Even with Lewis the last time it came around it was one plus one. This is in a way how the team operated. But I think what’s most important is to see how George and Kimi settle in, and I see no reason at that stage not giving them the faith and the trust of going forward.
“What that means for the terms is something that we will discuss between ourselves, but we wouldn’t have gone for the lineup with these two if we wouldn’t believe 100 percent that they are the best choice for Mercedes.”
Wolff has openly spoken of his interest in signing Verstappen in the past, and would not rule out a future move for the Dutchman even after committing to a line-up with an average age of 22 years old.
“What I appreciate also in dealing with them is they’re straightforward and transparent. I don’t flirt outside, I’ve always said it. I got maybe caught out by the Lewis situation, but I have not entertained any discussions with any drivers. We’re giving all from the team to make it a success, and this is why all of our focus in the team is on George and Kimi. And that’s where I also stand.
“There is no discussion, there is no second thoughts about what we’re doing in 2026, because now it’s about 2024 and 2025. And if flirting outside happens, then they will know it, these guys will know it at the same time, when we have those discussions. I’ve always been open.”