Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images
Speaking ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix Mercedes boss Toto Wolff opened up about filling Lewis Hamilton’s seat
The most shocking development in the Formula 1 world in recent weeks?
The thunderbolt that Lewis Hamilton would be leaving Mercedes to drive for Ferrari starting with the 2025 campaign.
Hamilton’s shocking decision — that the driver reportedly “manifested” as he told GQ recently — kicked what was already going to be a frenetic driver transfer market into high gear. With over half of the grid driving on expiring contracts, there was already a high probability of the driver lineup looking vastly different for 2025.
Now with a seat soon to be vacated at Mercedes, things truly could look different.
A spot at Mercedes is now available for the 2025 season, and a number of drivers have already been linked to that spot. In recent days even the retired Sebastian Vettel has been linked to the Silver Arrows, with the driver himself opining this week that Mercedes is “one of the best seats on the grid.”
“I’ve had conversations with him [Mercedes boss Toto Wolff], not really about the seat. We did speak about the whole situation in short as well,” said Vettel to Sky Sports F1. “So I am staying in touch. I don’t know. It has to be a couple more phone calls and conversations, I guess, to really find out a little bit more. But for sure [Mercedes] is one of the best seats on the grid.”
It now seems that Wolff has a shortlist of options for next season.
Addressing the open seat at Friday’s FIA Press Conferences, Wolff discussed both Vettel, and a potential replacement at the other range of the experience spectrum, Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli, who has yet to turn 18, skipped F3 completely and is competing in F2 this season. After a 14th-place finish in the first F2 race of the season, Antonelli has shown improved form since then, and is coming off a season-best P4 at the feature race in Melbourne.
It was recently announced that Antonelli would be participating in some F1 tests at both Imola and Austria in the coming weeks, which was a slight change from the plan at the start of the season.
Wolff addressed that scheduling change, as well as Antonelli, on Friday.
“The [program] of Kimi driving Formula 1 has been in place for a long time and hasn’t changed massively over the last few weeks. What we have done is added more days, but what you will see in the next few months has been in place, whether or not he’s going to sit in a Formula 1 car next year,” said Wolff on Friday. “So, yeah. We’re going to do a few of these days for him to get comfortable in an F1 car. He’s driving the 2021 car in Austria for the first time.
“We want to give him a feeling what a really good car feels like before we put him in the ’22 [Mercedes’ challenger for the 2022 season]. Obviously, he’s been our young boy since a long time, with James, and we’re keen to see what he’s able to do in a Formula 1 car. Ollie Bearman was refreshing to look at how competitive he was in Saudi Arabia. No free practice, high speed, complicated track, and he was right up there. So Kimi would be doing just fine.”
Wolff then addressed the speculation about Vettel making a shocking move of his own, and returning to the grid after a brief retirement.
“Sebastian is someone that you can never discount,” said Wolff. “I think his track record is phenomenal. And sometimes maybe taking a break is also good to re-evaluate what’s important for you and refine your motivation.”
The Mercedes boss then cautioned that a decision might not be imminent.
“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 are about to sign for some of the other teams. We want to continue to have these discussions and keep the options open,” described Wolff. “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 – very experienced, which the next few months will give us more clues.”
Wolff was then asked if he had a list of drivers. Luke Smith of The Athletic asked the Mercedes boss if he had whittled down to a list of “one, two, three drivers.”
“Yes,” was the curt response from Wolff, who did not elaborate nor provide an exact number.
Regardless of how long — or short — that list is, one thing is clear.
Wolff may hold the biggest domino for the upcoming silly season.
