Toto Wolff shared the names of a few candidates that could replace Lewis Hamilton in 2025, one of them is Max Verstappen, but Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz are also an option.
Mercedes now has the difficult task of finding a driver that can replace the seven-time world champion, who will join Ferrari in 2025. Wolff still doesn’t know who Mercedes is going to sign, but he admitted that there are interesting options available.
“I don’t know yet. I think it depends also on what Max does,” Wolff told Fox Sports Australia.
“Well, obviously there’s Fernando who is very exciting,” added Wolff. “And Carlos [is] very good. So there are a few ones.
“This time I’m going to make the play like the bride that’s difficult to get.”
Wolff also didn’t exclude the young Italian, Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The latter skipped Formula 3 and is now driving in Formula 2, showing progress every weekend. However, the Mercedes team principal doesn’t want to “put extra pressure on him.”
“And then we have a young kid 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 into an F1 car at 17. So there are a few options that we could play with him.”