Toto Wolff confirms Lewis Hamilton replacement shortlist complete and drops major hint
Toto Wolff has addressed the state of his Lewis Hamilton replacement shortlist ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.
Toto Wolff has confirmed that his shortlist of drivers to replace Lewis Hamilton is complete, hinting that both Kimi Antonelli and Sebastian Vettel are in consideration for the seat.
With Hamilton heading to Ferrari at the end of the season and nearly three-quarters of the grid soon to be out of contract, Wolff has plenty of options at his disposal as he looks to form his 2025 driver line-up
During the team principal press conference in Japan, Wolff was asked whether he had whittled his shortlist down. The Austrian confirmed this fact but refused to give an exact number of drivers on the list.
He did, however, address the speculation linking Mercedes with former Red Bull and Ferrari star Vettel. "Sebastian is someone that you can never discount," he said.
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"I think that his track record is phenomenal, and sometimes maybe taking a break is also good, to re-evaluate what is important for you and re-find your motivation.
"As I said before, I think we haven't taken the decision yet, and it's not something that we plan to do in the next few weeks. I know that the driver market is very dynamic. Some of the really good guys, they are about to sign for some of the other teams.
"We want to continue to have these discussions and keep the options open. But at that stage, I think it's much too early for us to commit to a driver, whether very young or whether very experienced... I don't want to say old! The next few months will give us more clues."
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Wolff's age-related comments suggest that while Vettel and the oft-linked Fernando Alonso are in contention for the drive, so is teenager Kimi Antonelli.
The 17-year-old Italian has been on the radar of motorsport fans since his karting age and made the giant leap from FRECA to Formula Two ahead of the 2024 season. Driving for PREMA Racing, he was tipped for a title charge, but has encountered some new teething problems with the new generation of cars, and the same can be said for his team.
Despite a slow start relative to pre-season expectations, Antonelli is set to complete his first F1 test at the Red Bull Ring later this year, and Wolff's comments suggest that he remains an option for a promotion in 2025.