Toto Wolff has trusted Kimi Antonelli to fill the shoes of Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025.
The young Italian has had an impressive junior career with multiple titles. He jumped past F3 straight to F2 in 2024 and will now move to F1 after finishing sixth in the standings last year.
Antonelli is one of six new full-time drivers on the grid in 2025. The 18-year-old will be the third youngest driver in F1 history when he makes his debut at the Australian Grand Prix in March.
The Italian recently passed his road driving test, which is key as drivers must have a valid driving license to obtain an FIA superlicense. Lando Norris joked to Antonelli on social media that he hopes he does not go faster than 250kph in 2025.
Coming in as the replacement for F1’s most successful driver will bring incredible pressure on the Mercedes protege to deliver results. But Antonelli admitted he is not thinking about Hamilton before his debut as he sees himself as the ‘next Mercedes driver’ rather than the Brit’s replacement.
Antonelli has already completed 9,000km in testing to prepare for his full-time assault at F1. And the Italian will also have a great support network around him at the Brackley-based outfit.
Toto Wolff says Mercedes hired Valtteri Bottas who can ‘coach’ Kimi Antonelli
Teammate George Russell will be an excellent reference point and team leader for Antonelli to learn from. Russell believes Antonelli has the raw speed to compete at the front from the off.
Mercedes have also hired Valtteri Bottas as their reserve driver for 2025. The Finn returns to the team after three years with Sauber.
The 35-year-old acted as Hamilton’s teammate from 2017 to 2021, grabbing 10 wins and 20 pole positions. Bottas says he has returned home to Mercedes as he is set for a spell on the sidelines before a potential full-time seat in 2026.
The Finn will provide experience and a familiar face to Mercedes in 2025. Speaking exclusively with F1 Oversteer at the Autosport awards, team boss Wolff explained that Bottas would also help ‘coach’ Antonelli in his rookie season.
“Yeah, a part of the role of Valtteri will be to have a look on Kimi, be there to coach, be there to have an eye on what’s happening on the track and Kimi’s going to learn from Valtteri and from George”, he said.
Is there a chance Valtteri Bottas will replace Kimi Antonelli in 2025?
As well as his experience and knowledge behind the scenes, Bottas would also be a solid option to call upon if either Russell or Antonelli falls ill – or if the latter struggles to perform.
Mercedes could demote Antonelli if he fails to deliver results, which may be wise as he needs the experience before pushing on for championships. It is possible that Bottas could replace him being their reserve driver.
Another possibility is that Antonelli moves down to Williams. A clause in Carlos Sainz’s contract allows him to drive for Mercedes should they ask, putting a potential swap deal on the cards.
Whatever the case, Bottas’ reserve role will be in preparation for a return to full-time racing in 2026, and he may already have some options on the table.
Bottas has already had talks with Cadillac, with the American brand set to become F1’s 11th team next year. The team want an experienced driver alongside an American talent, with Bottas fitting the former perfectly.
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