Mercedes F1 News: Toto Wolff Has Already Chosen Lewis Hamilton Replacement According to Pundit

F1 presenter Will Buxton claims Toto Wolff has selected Andrea Kimi Antonelli from the Mercedes Junior Team as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement for 2025.

Nov 18, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport driver Lewis Hamilton of / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

As Lewis Hamilton prepares to exit Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025, Toto Wolff has reportedly selected Andrea Kimi Antonelli as his successor, according to respected F1 pundit Will Buxton.

Key Takeaways

• Toto Wolff reportedly selects Andrea Kimi Antonelli to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025, following Hamilton's move to Ferrari.
• The decision is influenced by Wolff’s past regrets of missing out on young talents like Max Verstappen and aims to prepare for new F1 regulations in 2026.
• Wolff’s strategy involves directly integrating young drivers into the main team to expedite their development and strengthen the team’s future competitiveness.

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has reportedly made a pivotal decision about the team's future driver lineup, selecting Andrea Kimi Antonelli to fill the seat being vacated by Lewis Hamilton in 2025.

The decision comes as Hamilton is poised to join Ferrari, ending his 11-year stint with the Brackley-based squad during which he won six of his seven drivers' championship titles. Wolff's choice appears driven by a determination to not repeat past oversights, particularly the missed opportunity to sign Max Verstappen before his ascent with Red Bull Racing. F1 TV presenter Buxton believes that Wolff’s choice is a firm one, motivated by the potential seen in Antonelli and a desire to secure top young talents early in their careers.

Buxton explained during an appearance on The Red Flags Podcast:

“Antonelli is going to Mercedes, I think for me Toto has made his mind up, he wants Antonelli in the seat.

“Because he’s pissed, he is pissed that he missed the opportunity to give Max the opportunity back in 2014. So you put Antonelli in the seat.”

The decision also reflects a strategic outlook for Mercedes, with 2025 viewed as a transitional year ahead of new regulations in 2026. Buxton continued:

“The litmus test was Bearman.

"Bearman did the job, ‘Okay great, so we can stick a kid straight in from Formula 2’.

“’25 is a write-off for them [Mercedes] anyway, until the new regulations in ’26, so you bring him in, no pressure, get him to know the team, get him to work with George [Russell], understand what Mercedes are all about. Bam, new car, new regulations in 2026, go for the title, go have a run at it.

"If you put him in a Williams in ’25 and then you bring him into Mercedes with the expectation of ’26, he’s got to relearn everything, everyone, how it operates when you’ve spent a year with Williams."