After the ‘bombshell’ signing of Lewis Hamilton through Ferrari instead of Carlos Sainz in 2025, after activating the clause that allows him to leave Mercedes at the end of 2024, the big question in the Formula 1 paddock is which driver will replace the Englishman at Mercedes. In 2024, many drivers ended their contracts, including Carlos Sainz at Ferrari or Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin, although he always said he wanted to renew, and Carlos Sainz is free. And many other names are available. The ‘Silly Season’ seems especially exciting for the coveted seat in one of the best teams in the ‘Great Circus’.
In this context, Toto Wolff, head of Mercedes, is not closed to anything, or to taking risks and asks for patience to study the current driving market. At that point, he regretted, without naming names, that he could not assess the option of Lando Norris or Charles Leclerc, as both had signed their long-term renewals with their respective teams a few weeks ago.
“Our main focus now is on the 2024 season. We have two great drivers, we have Lewis in his last year at Mercedes and George is eager to get back in the car and perform. We need to put a car on track with more faster than last year’s car and we know how difficult it is to compete not only with Red Bull but also with others,” he commented at the start.
Russell is praised as a leader
“Also, with all the discussion about Lewis, one thing that hasn’t been talked about is George Russell. George has the potential to be the team’s next top driver. He’s from the generation of Lando and Leclerc and some of the others and I could not wish for a better new team leader for when Lewis left, there is no doubt about that,” he argued. Maybe that was a clue to where his choice might end up. If you bet on Russell as the leader, you can be happy with the arrival of another lower-ranked driver than, for example, Fernando Alonso. But nothing can be ruled out yet because Mercedes has plenty of time to make a decision. And in F1 anything happens. Tell Wolff with Hamilton, who apparently will stay at Mercedes and on Wednesday informed him that he is leaving.
“We have a very solid foundation and a fast, smart guy in the car; we just have to make the right decision for the second seat. That’s not something I want to rush into,” he added of Russell and his potential partner.
“A few weeks ago there were signed contracts that we (Leclerc and Norris) will review, it would have been interesting, but the times here bothered us a little,” he argued. If Hamilton had notified him earlier or Leclerc and Norris had not signed, perhaps history would have changed.
“I always like change because it gives you opportunities… I really want to make the right decision for the team, with my teammates, about who will fill the position next year. Maybe it will be an opportunity to do something bold,” said.
“There is an exciting situation at the end of 2024 with some drivers available, others only signed a few weeks ago so these are opportunities. So that moment, if it had been six weeks earlier, there would have more opportunities, but it is what it is,” he argued. And besides Alonso and Sainz, a highly valued pilot who was in one of the clients is also ending. his contract. machines from Mercedes, Williams, like Alex Albon. Also Esteban Ocon, former Mercedes academy driver, who is ending his contract with Alpine. Or the Frenchman Pierre Gasly.
“In 2024 and 2025 and beyond, the pilot market is very interesting. We have to look to the future. Who can we partner with George? What is the best combination? I think in terms of drivers who can join, there are different options. At this moment I wouldn’t like to commit to ‘this is what we will do’, I want to take my time,” he said about the deadlines for making the difficult decision.
The young Kimi Antonelli
Another name on the table is the young Italian talent from the Mercedes academy, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, 17 years old. He has eliminated everything in recent years in the lower categories after leaving karting and after winning the European Regional Formula in 2023 he will make the jump to Formula 2 without first going through FIA Formula 3. This is a good bet by Mercedes for the future, but it seems hard to imagine that Mercedes will give him the wheel after just one year in F2 if he also shines this season. The most likely thing is that, when he rises, he will do so in a client structure as has happened to so many other young talents. And at that point, Wolff asked the boy to calm down so as not to put him in the middle of rumors.
“Kimi has been at Mercedes since he was 11 years old. He was in the youth program and his youth career was very successful,” he commented on the Italian talent.
“I think the most important thing right now is to focus on F2. “I think we will start to think about him or unleash rumors in the media about him that will not help his F2 campaign,” he added about a driver that everyone places in Mercedes in the future. He has the makings of a champion, but he is still very young and needs filmmaking.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
