Mercedes may have missed their chance to ever sign £47m-a-year F1 driver after Kimi Antonelli move

Mercedes will field a driver line-up consisting solely of products of their academy in 2025 after signing Andrea Kimi Antonelli to replace Ferrari new boy Lewis Hamilton.

The seven-time drivers’ champion stunned the Formula 1 paddock one year ago as Hamilton decided to quit Mercedes and land a multi-year contract with Ferrari starting from 2025. His farewell tour with the Silver Arrows would, however, yield Hamilton’s worst F1 season so far.

For the first time since debuting back in 2007, the 2024 season saw Hamilton finish the term just seventh in the F1 drivers’ championship. He has now switched silver for red with a move to Maranello and seen an Italian take his place after Mercedes promoted Antonelli for 2025.

Antonelli will make his Formula 1 debut at the Australian Grand Prix on March 16, when the Bologna boy will also become the third-youngest driver to start an F1 race at 18 years old. It comes after joining Mercedes’ driver academy in 2019 and sees him partner George Russell.

Max Verstappen may ‘never’ join Mercedes after Andrea Kimi Antonelli replaced Lewis Hamilton

But by promoting an academy product in Antonelli to partner another in Russell after seeing Hamilton use an exit clause in his contract to join Ferrari, Mercedes might have missed their chance to ever sign Max Verstappen after initially targeting a move to get the Red Bull racer.

That is according to Motorsport.com, which reports that Verstappen ditching Red Bull to join Mercedes now seems like it ‘may never happen’. While Toto Wolff only gave up on his hopes of landing the Dutchman last August, Antonelli’s arrival likely marked an end to that pursuit.

READ MORE: The best moments of Max Verstappen’s career in Formula 1

Instead, if the four-time defending champion was to consider a move from Milton Keynes in the future, Verstappen moving to Aston Martin has more traction than to Mercedes. Adrian Newey joining Aston Martin as their managing technical partner adds weight to the chance.

Max Verstappen is in talks to join Aston Martin and reunite with Adrian Newey

Wolff confirmed Mercedes and Verstappen held talks last year and that a door remains open for the Dutchman in Brackley. Only gifting Antonelli a one-year contract for his rookie season when Russell is also a free agent after the 2025 campaign leaves room to target Verstappen.

But it now seems to have been a sliding doors moment from breaking Verstappen’s £47m-a-year (rising to £59m) Red Bull contract through the 2028 season and promoting Antonelli to replace Hamilton. So, Wolff will be holding out hope their academy ace thrives in Formula 1.

Meanwhile, Newey and Aston Martin’s billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll will be paying very close attention to Verstappen’s situation at Red Bull. They will likely jump at a chance to get the Dutchman to use his release clause with Verstappen in active talks to join Aston Martin.