Who is going to be Mercedes's Driver for 2025? UPDATE: Kimi Antonelli

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Off-topic:

No. It's rumored to be closer to the truth to say that Toto Wolff gave Hamilton in 2023 a 1+1 year contract to ensure securing the Italian Mercedes Junior driver and super talent "Kimi" (Andrea Kimi Antonelli) for a Mercedes-AMG F1 seat in 2026.

Team mate for Russell for 2025: either a 'placeholder' for Kimi (a driver willing to accept a 1-year only Mercedes contract) or otherwise Kimi straightaway.

Let's dig this post up in the future.

Yeah . I heard that too , Andrea Kimi Antonelli is a really amazing talent.
On the other hand : Wolff called SEB too !

SEB said : As you know , Everything is possible in F1...

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Yeah . I heard that too , Andrea Kimi Antonelli is a really amazing talent.
On the other hand : Wolff called SEB too !

SEB said : As you know , Everything is possible in F1...

Vettel to replace Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025 ? Wait, haven't you noticed during the Bahrain race how unusually kind Alonso was letting Mercedes overtake him (instead of his usual 'no pasarán' track position defence whenever he's tailgated by a Mercedes) ?

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Vettel to replace Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025 ? Wait, haven't you noticed during the Bahrain race how unusually kind Alonso was letting Mercedes overtake him (instead of his usual 'no pasarán' track position defence whenever he's tailgated by a Mercedes) ?

Sure . But Wolff has said , every option is open to replace LEW ...

And it was really strange to see how Jos was speaking with Wolff in Bahrain.
As we know : Wolff and Jos are not the best friends !

I'm pretty sure , you know what I mean ...

[M5Rick]

I reckon BOT will be coming back to Merc in '25, Antonelli is still sucking lollipops.

[Autobacs]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Vettel to replace Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025 ? Wait, haven't you noticed during the Bahrain race how unusually kind Alonso was letting Mercedes overtake him (instead of his usual 'no pasarán' track position defence whenever he's tailgated by a Mercedes) ?

The only lion defense I've seen ALO do was against LH/Merc when he was in Alpine.

I've never seen him give a hard time to anyone who was clearly faster than him because he is mindful of tire wear. In Bahrain, no different when he let Norris and Piastri go through.

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Sure . But Wolff has said , every option is open to replace LEW ...

And it was really strange to see how Jos was speaking with Wolff in Bahrain.
As we know : Wolff and Jos are not the best friends !

I'm pretty sure , you know what I mean ...

Just discovered Ferrari film is on Sky movies

[Artemis]

Sounds like Toto Wolff will get "wonderkid" Kimi a Mercedes-AMG F1 seat - the only question being: in 2026 or already straightaway in 2025.

Kimi is not "the new Hamilton" or "the new Verstappen". He will have to make himself his own name.

"Mercedes gave Hamilton short F1 contract to keep Antonelli option open
Toto Wolff admits that the Mercedes Formula 1 team didn’t commit to a longer-term contract with Lewis Hamilton because it didn’t want to risk losing protégé Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/m...open/10580591/
Adam Cooper - Christian Nimmervoll
Feb 28, 2024, 11:25 AM - Upd: Feb 29, 2024, 4:02 AM

Last August, Hamilton signed a two-year contract with the team, which was widely assumed to be fixed for the full term and left open the possibility for Mercedes to take Antonelli in 2026.
However, Hamilton was able to use escape clauses to miss the second year and take up an offer from Ferrari, leaving his seat free for 2025 and giving Mercedes the chance to take Antonelli as early as next year.
Antonelli, who is just 17 years old, is moving up to Formula 2 with Prema this season, having won Italian F4 in 2022 and the Formula Regional European Championship with the team last year.
Wolff has compared the situation with 2014, when the team was keen to sign Max Verstappen but had nowhere to put him, while Red Bull was able to offer him a Toro Rosso seat for the following year.
"There was a situation many years ago where we had the opportunity to let Max drive,” Wolff told Austrian broadcaster ORF. "And that wasn't possible back then because we simply didn't have a cockpit.
"Rosberg and Hamilton were tied to us long-term, and Red Bull naturally seized the opportunity. They gave him a contract with Toro Rosso, with the possibility of driving for Red Bull the following year.
"We then lost the young driver, and you can see how successful he has become.
"And precisely because we have a junior on the horizon who is really driving at a very high level, I simply wanted to keep this option open."
Wolff reiterated what he said in a response to Motorsport.com in Bahrain last week by stating that the newly-vacant 2025 seat is not necessarily being saved for Antonelli, who has yet to start his first F2 race.
"That does not mean that we will actually put Antonelli in the car next year," he said. "He is 17 years old, and that might be a bit early. But with a view to the next five or ten years, I just wanted to have this option."
Regarding the Italian’s potential, he said: "In a way, he's a wonderkid. He won everything there was to win in karting and then moved into F4. He won all the championships in his rookie year, then moved up a level and won everything there too."
"Now we've decided to skip F3, partly because there's not much time to test there. Instead, he'll go straight into F2, which is a huge leap for him. These are really big cars with power. Most of the races are part of the F1-supporting programme, so we'll have a good overview there too."
Wolff has confirmed that Antonelli will do some private running in a 2022 car, noting that Mercedes will "run a big test programme with him in 2024 and then we'll see, is he ready for 2025? Or for 2026, will there be a different situation?"
The conundrum over opting to hold him back until 2026 is that it would require another driver stepping in for 2025 only, assuming that George Russell remains in the other seat and his contract is extended beyond 2025.
Wolff said that the driver market will be "incredibly interesting, because really strong people will be available for 2025", and that Mercedes will review the situation "over the next two or three races".
He added: “Do we want to rely on experience and perhaps try something new? Or do we want to focus on youth and take the risk that we have a rookie and then have to look at this from a medium- to long-term performance perspective?"

[Marcoose]

Word is Michael Avenatti will be out soon.

[Autobacs]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Sounds like Toto Wolff will get "wonderkid" Kimi a Mercedes-AMG F1 seat - the only question being: in 2026 or already straightaway in 2025.

Kimi is not "the new Hamilton" or "the new Verstappen". He will have to make himself his own name.

"Mercedes gave Hamilton short F1 contract to keep Antonelli option open
Toto Wolff admits that the Mercedes Formula 1 team didn’t commit to a longer-term contract with Lewis Hamilton because it didn’t want to risk losing protégé Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/m...open/10580591/
Adam Cooper - Christian Nimmervoll
Feb 28, 2024, 11:25 AM - Upd: Feb 29, 2024, 4:02 AM

There is a good argument to be made that even though he will be a gamble in 2025, anyone else they sign is NOT going to be on a one year contract so Wolff might decide to go for it because he does not want to take a chance of losing Antonelli if they sign someone else.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by Autobacs

There is a good argument to be made that even though he will be a gamble in 2025, anyone else they sign is NOT going to be on a one year contract so Wolff might decide to go for it because he does not want to take a chance of losing Antonelli if they sign someone else.

[G30M]

someone told me Jos is offering Max

[Blindside_137]

The post about Lewis not getting a long term contract is misleading, but I read somewhere that yes Max was involved in that decision. Not because of a future contract but the past.

Back when he came to f1 Mercedes had both drivers under contract and weren’t able to offer Max a seat and they know how that has turned out. They don’t want George and Lewis committed too long and then be unable to offer Antonelli a seat just like they couldn’t for Max.

So in a way it is because of how they couldn’t get Max (back then), which is why Lewis was getting a shorter term.

[G30M]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Sounds like Toto Wolff will get "wonderkid" Kimi a Mercedes-AMG F1 seat - the only question being: in 2026 or already straightaway in 2025.

well if someone's first name is Kimi or Sebastian, you have to sign them

[Car-Addicted]

Originally Posted by g21

someone told me Jos is offering Max

You just had to go there? . You beat me too it.

[///M Power-Belgium]

MAX

[Car-Addicted]

So lets have some fun:

The reason Jos Verstappen has made the deal with Toto for Max and he wants to cripple Red Bull for the near future by getting Christian Horner showen the door.

If this happens it will be good fun watching certain Max fan boys around here deal with their Toto hate.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by Car-Addicted

So lets have some fun:

The reason Jos Verstappen has made the deal with Toto for Max and he wants to cripple Red Bull for the near future by getting Christian Horner showen the door.

If this happens it will be good fun watching certain Max fan boys around here deal with their Toto hate.

Wolff's BlitzKrieg !!!


LMFAO

[G30M]

Originally Posted by Car-Addicted

So lets have some fun:

The reason Jos Verstappen has made the deal with Toto for Max and he wants to cripple Red Bull for the near future by getting Christian Horner showen the door.

If this happens it will be good fun watching certain Max fan boys around here deal with their Toto hate.

maybe Jos can drive for Merc, i have no idea why Max would want to drive for Merc.

but interesting theory!

[Rono63]

Max has a contract with RB until 2028. Is there a loophole in his contract that would allow him to go to Mercedes?

[M3WC]

Originally Posted by g21

maybe Jos can drive for Merc, i have no idea why Max would want to drive for Merc.

but interesting theory!

He doesn't.

Originally Posted by Rono63

Max has a contract with RB until 2028. Is there a loophole in his contract that would allow him to go to Mercedes?

Marko Helmut leaving is Max's only out. That stubborn old man isn't leaving RB.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by Rono63

Max has a contract with RB until 2028. Is there a loophole in his contract that would allow him to go to Mercedes?

Yes ! And thanks to Marko ...

[iamwingman]

Originally Posted by M3WC

He doesn't.

Marko Helmut leaving is Max's only out. That stubborn old man isn't leaving RB.

He already said he wouldn’t stand in max’s way..