Toto Wolff has mentioned many times in the past that Mercedes will eventually have to deal with the reality of Lewis Hamilton not being on the team anymore. And on more than one occasion, he has highlighted the promise Kimi Antonelli brings to the Brackley-based squad. With the shock announcement, Mercedes is now left with just 1 year to find a worthy replacement for Hamilton. Will it be Kimi Antonelli for sure? Only time will tell. But the Italian will have to prove himself in F2 this season to make a strong case for himself.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli will have big shoes to fill in 2025 if he makes it to F1

The countdown has begun for Mercedes to decide who they want to sign as a replacement for Lewis Hamilton in 2025. Kimi Antonelli, at 17, is one of the promising contenders for that coveted seat. The Italian has been part of the Mercedes Junior Team since 2019, and most recently, he got the chance to visit the factory and gel with the team he will eventually work with.

Kimi Antonelli is already being touted as the next Max Verstappen of Formula 1. He has won almost everything a young driver can win on his way to climbing the Formula ladder. Graduating from Karting to full-time single-seater racing in Formula 4 in 2022, he dominated his way to the Italian and ADAC F4 championships, winning 22 out of the 35 races. Last season, he moved to Formula Regional and again dominated his way to the Regional Middle East and European Championship.

With all this success on his back, Mercedes decided to move Kimi Antonelli directly into Formula 2 for 2024, skipping Formula 3 altogether. The Italian will drive for Prema Racing alongside Ferrari’s prodigy Oliver Bearman. Will Buxton, Formula 1 presenter, recently shared his excitement about the possibility of Kimi Antonelli replacing Hamilton at Mercedes. “If he [Kimi Antoneli] shows well enough and gets the license points, an 18-year-old rookie replacing an outgoing Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025 could be a huge story in itself,” wrote Buxton.

“Racing Comes Second”: Lewis Hamilton Sidelines F1 to Reveal Main Source of Inspiration

Although the announcement of Lewis Hamilton leaving Mercedes came as an absolute shock, the Brit had given us hints in his recent conversations about him losing motivation to be in F1.

Was Hamilton’s recent statement a hint at what was coming?

In a recent interview with Formule1.nl, Lewis Hamilton was asked to shed light on his motivations to stay in Formula 1 in regard to his pursuit of the record-breaking 8th world championship. Surprisingly, Hamilton responded that his desire to stay in F1 was not so high.

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“I never said that an eighth title would be the endpoint. And what follows driving in Formula 1, I don’t know. I don’t necessarily feel the desire to stay in Formula 1 any longer…” said Hamilton. He also spoke about taking a year off from the sport. “…it would probably be better to take a sabbatical and then see if I would still like to come back.”

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Watch This Story | Lewis Hamilton: Ranking His F1 World Titles From 2008 to 2020

What are your thoughts on seeing Kimi Antonelli replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes? Let us know in the comments down below.