Toto Wolff happy Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes exit helped avoid Max Verstappen mistake
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Toto Wolff was gutted to lose Lewis Hamilton - but is delighted to have the chance to give promising starlet Kimi Antonelli his first Formula 1 chance. Hamilton approached team principal Wolff last January to tell the Austrian he had decided to quit for rivals Ferrari. It was a blow, but the early decision, made before the 2024 season had even begun, gave Mercedes plenty of time to source his replacement.
Wolff had a fanciful attempt at wooing Max Verstappen but it was quickly clear that the Dutchman didn't plan to leave Red Bull for the 2025 campaign. So instead he looked within and decided Antonelli, who only turned 18 in August, was to be Hamilton's successor.
In the young Italian, Mercedes believe they could have F1's next big megastar on their hands. Antonelli has a very impressive records in the junior formulae and was fast-tracked through the system so he would be ready for his big moment. Wolff is desperate for his team to have its own answer to Verstappen after missing out on the Dutchman as a youngster. Mercedes tempted the now four-time champion when he was a teenager but Red Bull offered a swifter path to F1 and so he turned the Silver Arrows down.
Had there been no clear path for promotion to a race seat in the coming year, Antonelli may too have decided to move elsewhere. So although Wolff is far from happy to see the back of Hamilton, he is very pleased that the Brit's exit gave him the chance he needed to keep a supremely talented racer for the future.
