After a decade of glory, legendary racer Lewis Hamilton will take off his iconic silver-black race suit to don the red Ferrari gear. In the eleven-year journey with the Silver Arrows, the Briton emerged as a superstar, signing almost every F1 record. With his seven world championship titles, Hamilton will leave for the Maranello squad in his quest to clinch the eighth. The mind-blowing Ferrari move in February shocked everyone.

On the other hand, he will leave Mercedes with plenty of questions to answer. While the team is already grappling with technical issues, it must also find a replacement for Hamilton. However, recent statements by Toto Wolff suggest that the team has already chosen a candidate.

The Young Italian Racing Prodigy Will Steer Mercedes To Success

🚨 | According to what Corriere dello Sport learned, Kimi Antonelli’s will get the second Mercedes for 2025.

It was precisely Kimi Antonelli’s private tests that convinced Mercedes management for his contract for 2025.

Toto Wolff doesn’t want to let Antonelli escape just like… pic.twitter.com/JTMpOg7dCj

— F1_MercHub (@F1MercHub) May 28, 2024

Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari move has created uncertainty in the drivers’ grid. The entire lineup will be reshuffled, while only a handful have been given a seat. The Briton will soon live his childhood dream of driving a Ferrari, while Mercedes is left to figure out his replacement. Earlier, speculations were loud about Carlos Sainz signing a contract with the Brackley-based outfit. The Spaniard has been phenomenal throughout the season, except for the Canadian GP. Further, as Hamilton will replace Sainz, Mercedes could have swapped places between the two. Moreover, the German Marque was eyeing a one-year stop-gap racer who could drive for them in 2025. This filter was chosen because of its young Italian prodigy.

However, recent reports suggest the Mercedes gates are closed for Sainz as they’ve already found Hamilton’s successor. Although an official announcement has yet to be made, Blid States reported that the Three-pointed star has signed Kimi Antonelli for the upcoming season. The Italian teenager will be eighteen in August, the minimum age to get an F1 license. Currently, Antonelli is part of the Mercedes drivers program and is appearing in the Formula 2 series. Moreover, Toto Wolff is investing in him as he recently drove the 2022 F1 project alongside George Russell and Mick Schumacher. Thus, his exceptional racing skills make him a ‘hot topic’ in the F1 paddock. Moreover, his calm demeanor and composed attitude distinguish him from other racers his age. While Mercedes struggles to develop a championship-worthy car, recent improvements seem motivating. Therefore, with a change coming in the 2025 season, the eight-time Constructors title winners might find the mojo.

Former F1 Champion Decodes Mercedes’ Choice of Antonelli: Toto Wolff’s Ego At Play

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Former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve believes Kimi Antonelli will drive for Mercedes in 2025. He told Sky Sports that Toto Wolff would only allow Antonelli to be a solution for the team. Thus, Wolff’s ego is the ‘driving force’ that turns the decision in favor of the young Italian.

Further, Villeneuve claimed Wolff is on a mission to prove a point. He said the Mercedes boss had supported Kimi since he was 12. Therefore, the Austrian executive wants to prove to the world that his decision was correct. Ultimately, Wolff’s recent statement of ‘focusing on Kimi’ supports Villenueve’s claims. Therefore, it won’t be surprising if Mercedes announces Kimi Antonelli as Hamilton’s replacement.