Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is facing calls to embrace youth and consider Kimi Antonelli as the replacement for Lewis Hamilton, who is set to join Ferrari next season.
Hamilton’s decision to trigger an escape clause in his Mercedes contract and join Ferrari caught many off guard earlier this February, causing ripples of surprise throughout the Formula 1 community.
Despite the urgency created by Hamilton’s departure, Wolff has maintained a deliberate approach, indicating that he intends to carefully assess his options before making a decision.
Among the contenders speculated to fill Hamilton’s shoes are experienced drivers such as Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso, and Alex Albon, along with an unexpected candidate in Nico Hulkenberg.
However, amid the discussions of seasoned drivers, the name of seventeen-year-old Mercedes protege Kimi Antonelli has emerged as a compelling possibility.
Many within the Formula 1 circle believe that Antonelli, despite his young age, possesses the talent and potential to seamlessly transition from Formula 2 to Formula 1 and partner with George Russell in the upcoming season.
Nyck de Vries, who served as Mercedes’ reserve driver in 2021 and clinched the Formula E championship with the team during the same year, is among those advocating for the inclusion of the promising Italian youngster, affirming Antonelli’s readiness for the challenge.
De Vries stated; “They (Mercedes) have a great young driver in Kimi Antonelli. Of course, Lewis is a loss because he is a phenomenal driver with an amazing track record, arguably the best driver of the past decade.
“But where a door closes, a new one always opens, and change is not always for the worse. It just happens, and I hope to see that Kimi will get the opportunity because I believe he’s very capable. I think he’s a great, great driver, very complete.”
After being dropped by AlphaTauri early last season, having participated in only 10 races of his rookie campaign, De Vries has made a comeback to Formula E.
He is now racing with Mahindra Racing, balancing his Formula E commitments with a seat at Toyota in the Hypercar class of the World Endurance Championship.
With AlphaTauri’s transformation over the winter into RB, under the helm of new leadership led by Laurent Mekies and a new technical direction, De Vries may once again ponder over the missed chance to showcase his abilities in what was a challenging car last year.
De Vries emphasized however that, “I really don’t look at it that way.” He further stated: “I almost see it as like a past chapter and whatever they do now, it doesn’t awaken any kind of feelings for me.
“I enjoy watching F1 because I love our sport, and whether they do well or not, I wish them well. I’m still thankful for the opportunity they gave me and I’m now very happy in the series where I was before I went to F1.”
