Toto Wolff is refusing to rush into a decision; instead, he is taking his time since he has one highly sought-after F1 seat available following the extraordinary events of this week.
There will be no “rushed” decisions made by Toto Wolff on Lewis Hamilton’s replacement, and he even hinted that Mercedes would be tempted to make a “bold” choice.
One of the most sought-after spots in Grand Prix racing will be available when Hamilton leaves the team for Ferrari at the end of the 2024 season, regardless of whether Mercedes’ form has been declining in the ground-effect era.
Nonetheless, seven Drivers’ Championships and eight Constructors’ Championships since 2014 makes the team a very attractive one.
Wolff and Mercedes have a pool of candidates from whom to select a driver, with Alex Albon being heavily rumored to join his good friend.
Another possibility is Mercedes’ in-house protege Andrea Kimi Antonelli, but Esteban Ocon, Carlos Sainz (whom Hamilton is replacing at Ferrari), and Fernando Alonso are all strong possibilities.
The Austrian has made it clear that Russell, who is now in his third season with the team, will become team leader, unlike in 2016 when Nico Rosberg shocked the F1 world by retiring days after winning the title. Wolff now has a year to assess candidates for the seat.
Speaking about Russell, Wolff explained that it’s important to recognise his ability and how he can lead the team when Hamilton leaves as the pair have been closely matched in 2022 and 2023.
“With the Lewis discussion, something that has not been talked about enough is that George has the potential to be next lead driver in the team and is of the generation of Lando [Norris] and Charles [Leclerc],” Wolff said on Friday.
“I couldn’t wish for a [better] new team leader when Lewis leaves, there is no doubt about that.
“He has such a solid foundation, is such a quick, talented and intelligent guy in the car that we just need to take the right choice for the second seat.
“It is not something that I want to be rushed into. A few contracts have been signed in the last few weeks that we would have looked at, that would have been interesting, but the timing beat us a bit.
“I always like change because change provides you with an opportunity, and in the same way we embraced the Nico [Rosberg] situation, and that was equally as unexpected, I am looking forward to taking the right decisions for the team, together with my colleagues for who is going to be in the seat next year.
“Maybe there is a chance to do something bold.
“George in that seat has been great for the team, going toe-to-toe with Lewis in the past two seasons, there was nothing between them.
“Knowing that we have a driver on that level makes the decision for the second seat much more comfortable.”
Such was the nature of Hamilton’s sudden decision, Mercedes has had no time to consider things yet.
“I have not yet properly reflected with the team on if we want to go for a rookie driver or an experienced one, because I don’t know yet what is best for the team going forward.
“If you had told me two days ago that Lewis was going to Ferrari, I didn’t think it was possible, so situations and things can change quickly. Contracts are as only good as the driver or teams want them to be.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes’ brightest prospect now advancing through the junior ranks, is one name that has been speculatively associated with the vacant seat for 2025.
The Italian, who is only 17, will make his Formula 2 debut in 2024 with the same Prema Racing team that has won the championship in recent years with Charles Leclerc (2017), Mick Schumacher (2020) and Oscar Piastri (2021). Fellow Mercedes Junior Fred Vesti narrowly missed out on the F2 title last season with the Italian team.
However, Wolff is keen to protect the youngster as the hype around him has not been seen since Max Verstappen around 10 years ago.
“Kimi has been with Mercedes since he was 11, and his junior career was very successful,” said Wolff of the driver who has collected Italian F4, ADAC F4, and Formula Regional Middle East and Europe (FRECA) titles.
“I think it is most important at this stage that he concentrates on F2, and if we start to spin his mind or unleash rumours in the media on him, that is not going to help his F2 campaign.
“He just stepped out of karts a few years ago, and he is not even 18, so I would rather not start any speculation about Kimi going into Formula 1 at this stage.”
