F1 News: Toto Wolff Speaks Out On 2025 Driver Line-Up - 'Interesting For Many Drivers'

Saajan Jogia | Jul 13, 2024

Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff / Mercedes Press Image

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff recently spoke about the team's 2025 driver lineup after consecutive wins at Austria and Silverstone, clarifying that these victories do not influence his driver selection process for next year. However, he did mention his admiration for F2 driver Kimi Antonelli.

Carlos Sainz and Antonelli reportedly stand out as Mercedes' leading candidates to potentially fill Lewis Hamilton's seat next year. While Sainz remains open to discussions, taking time to weigh his options, Antonelli appears poised as Mercedes' future prospect.

The Italian F2 driver currently holds the eighth position in the Drivers' Championship, showcasing considerable talent. However, pairing him with George Russell, who is in his second season with the team, could pose a gamble. The question lingers: can Antonelli swiftly contend for championship titles upon joining? Without Formula 1 experience, it is challenging to predict his immediate impact in such a competitive arena.

Despite the ongoing driver market momentum and the array of potential options Mercedes has for 2025, Wolff emphasized that recent victories will not sway the team's decision-making process when selecting a driver for the upcoming season. He told PlanetF1.com:

“It doesn’t influence our thinking.

“I’ve always said we need a car that goes quick and when we have a car that goes quick, we put the driver in and we get interesting. Interesting for many drivers.

“But, in a way, I think we need to stay calm and continue the season, continue to focus on the car, and then look at whether the options are still the same and… but it’s not like this [winning races is] changing everything and [turning] upside down.”

Antonelli showcased his prowess at Silverstone by winning the F2 Sprint race in challenging conditions, where six rival cars failed to finish. Wolff believes this achievement underscores Antonelli's potential, stating that it 'took a lot of weight off his shoulders'. He added:

“F2 is so difficult this year because the car… you can see that him and [Oliver] Bearman are struggling a lot with the car and he isn’t happy with his driving and not [having] the pace in the race.

“But seeing him on Saturday walking over the water, at times two seconds quicker than everybody else, you can see the talent and the ability and the potential this young guy has.

“Winning that race I think took a lot of weight off his shoulders.”