Toto Wolff Reveals Bold Kimi Antonelli Decision Timeline Ahead Of Lewis Hamilton Replacement

Saajan Jogia | Aug 31, 2024

Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Toto Wolff | 2024 Italian Grand Prix, Friday - Jiri Krenek /

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff revealed that he decided to sign Andrea Kimi Antonelli five minutes after Lewis Hamilton announced his move to Ferrari for 2025. Mercedes officially announced Antonelli as the team's driver for the 2025 season on Saturday at the Italian Grand Prix.

The Brackley outfit came a long way since Hamilton's February announcement of his legendary Ferrari move, but Wolff revealed that he took Antonelli's call in an instant. Since the season started, Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, and Antonelli were the drivers said to be in discussions with Mercedes.

While Verstappen showed no signs of interest and Sainz refused to wait longer, eventually signing with Williams, Mercedes chose to proceed with the driver Wolff had in mind- Antonelli. When Wolff was asked when he made his mind up to sign the 18-year-old F2 driver, he told the media:

"I made up my mind five minutes after Lewis Hamilton told me that he's going to Ferrari.

"Obviously, we were discussing other options, and also kept the Max idea. We didn't discount it completely with looking at what happened at Red Bull, but instinctively, that is the line-up with these two that I always wanted.

"Bearing in mind the fast-tracking that we did with Kimi and everything related there too, but that was immediately what I wanted to do."

Wolff declared Antonelli and George Russell as the "future" of Mercedes, but was unclear about the "complicated" contracts of both Mercedes drivers that "go much longer." He added:

"These two are the future.

"They have been and will be Mercedes drivers, and 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, but this is where we stand as a team today, we want to go with these two. The most important thing 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 line-up with these two if we wouldn't believe 100% that they are the best choice for Mercedes."

With Mercedes' doors shut for Verstappen, the team boss spoke about his straightforward approach, saying that he would not engage in discussions with any drivers outside the team. If such talks were to occur, he promised to be transparent and inform the driver involved. Wolff said:

"So, what I appreciate also in dealing with them is just very straightforward, and I don't flirt outside.

"I got nearly caught out by the Lewis situation, but I have not entertained any discussions with any drivers when giving it 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. There's no discussion, there are no second thoughts about what we're doing in 2026 because now it's about 2024 and 2025.

"And if flirting outside happens, then these guys will know it at the same time when we have those discussions."