Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes to join F1 rivals Ferrari at the end of 2024, leaving Toto Wolff with the huge task of replacing the seven-time world champion
Toto Wolff has named four drivers he is considering for a 2025 Mercedes seat after Lewis Hamilton leaves.
The seven-time Formula 1 champion has agreed to join Ferrari at the end of the year. And, with 21 races still to be completed between now and then, Wolff has no intention of rushing his decision over who will replace the 39-year-old.
But he has clearly given some thought to the situation. The Austrian has already made it clear that, should Max Verstappen follow through on his threat to quit Red Bull if mentor Helmut Marko leaves, the Dutchman will be his top target.
Wolff has also backed George Russell to lead the team into the future – and has now named three other targets as well as Verstappen. He said: “[Russell] is having that seat, he’s been part of our junior programme for a long time. The reason why is because he’s great, so it’s about the second seat.
“I think it depends also on what Max does. Then we have a young kid [Andrea Kimi Antonelli] that is very promising and I don’t want to put more extra pressure on him, but it looks like he can be one of the great ones. But we also don’t want to drown him by jumping so quickly in an F1 car at 17.
“So there are a few options that we play with him. Obviously, there’s Fernando [Alonso] who is very exciting, and Carlos [Sainz] is very good. So there are a few ones. I’m going to make the play like a bride – difficult to get!”
Alonso has made it clear he wants to sit down with his current Aston Martin team in the hopes of thrashing out a new deal. But he has also hinted that he would be willing to look elsewhere if an agreement can’t be reached and would surely be tempted by a Mercedes offer.
Sainz is definitely in need of a new seat next year, given Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari will come at his expense. His victory in Australia at the weekend has done his chances of landing another top seat no harm at all.
No matter who takes the seat, Wolff admits they will need to be given a much quicker car than Mercedes have managed to produce over the last three seasons. He said: “I think we’ve got to look at ourselves and [ask] what is it we can do with this car.
“Then it becomes much easier, whoever drives the second car, it’s become much easier for George because he has the potential of being a world champion and so much more. It’s the team’s problem to solve, really, rather than looking for a silver bullet with an amazing driver.”
