Toto Wolff names the ‘strongest’ candidate to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes… and explains how the driver won him over as he prepares to make an important decision

Toto Wolff has revealed which driver is in the “strongest position” to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.

The Silver Arrows chief has a big decision to make in the coming months with Hamilton, who has been with Mercedes since 2013, joining Ferrari for 2025.

Carlos Sainz, the man he will replace and this season’s Australian GP winner, is an obvious candidate to go in the opposite direction and take Hamilton’s seat.

Max Verstappen would be first choice if he left Red Bull, while Fernando Alonso had breakfast with Wolff in February, sparking the rumor.

The name of Sebastian Vettel was also mentioned because he is a four-time world champion without a contract.

Hamilton is moving from Mercedes to Ferrari for the 2025 season and there is much speculation about who will fill the vacant seat

However, Toto Wolff named Andrea Kimi Antonelli, a 17-year-old F2 driver, as the candidate in the “strongest position”.

“(Antonelli) is definitely a very serious competitor. I want to see how his F2 season goes, but we’ll wait and see what happens with some of the other F1 drivers. I have no doubt about his raw speed, talent and ability.

“We wouldn’t have supported him in karting until now if we didn’t believe he had the potential to get into F1 and do it with Mercedes.” Many young drivers have shown in the past that it is possible to take this step.

“My feeling at the moment is that I don’t want to rush (the decision), because Kimi is one of the ideas for next year and is in the strongest position, and that’s why we don’t need to rush into any other decision.

“Obviously some of the other top drivers are going to make a decision soon on what to do, but I feel like I shouldn’t make the decision too quickly.”

Antonelli may be an unfamiliar name to those who don’t follow motorsport, but he’s making waves below F1.

The 17-year-old Mercedes protégé currently drives alongside Ferrari prodigy Oliver Bearman at the Prema Formula 2 team.

Antonelli is set to have his first experience in a Formula 1 car later this month as Mercedes plans to preparing the young Italian driver for a potential seat next year.

Wolff named Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who has worked at Mercedes since the age of 11, as his candidate

F2 driver Antonelli will get the chance to test a Mercedes at Imola later this month.

“We want to give it the feeling of what a really good car feels like.” And then we’ll put it in the 2022 car to see what the difference is,” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff told F1 TV at the Japanese Grand Prix.

“I’m really excited and happy to see (Antonelli) in an F1 car. He’s been with us since he was 11.

“I have a photo of him standing next to me on the center console as a little boy in karting and now witnessing his development as an F1 driver is something I am really proud of. “

Antonelli will drive the Mercedes W12 – which Lewis Hamilton drove during the 2021 season where he sadly lost the chance to win his 8th world championship to Max Verstappen.

The two-day test will take place at Imola on April 16-17, with the teenager looking to acclimatise to an F1 car to impress Mercedes.