Mercedes have replaced Lewis Hamilton with teenager Kimi Antonelli for the 2025 F1 season. And by recruiting Valtteri Bottas, Toto Wolff has mitigated the risk.
Hamilton surpassed 350 race starts in the latter part of 2024. That makes him the second-most experienced driver in F1 history, between Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen.
At the other end of the scale, Antonelli joins not only as a rookie but also as the third-youngest F1 driver ever. It’s a gamble few would have expected immediately after Hamilton’s bombshell announcement a year ago.
Toto Wolff overlooked some experienced, proven options (above all Carlos Sainz) in favour of Antonelli. The combined age of his line-up, which also features George Russell, is 45, only two years older than Fernando Alonso.
But Wolff has added some experience by re-hiring Bottas to mentor Antonelli. The Finn drove for the team between 2017 and 2021, winning 10 Grands Prix and ably supporting Hamilton.
Bottas lost his seat at the end of 2024 as Sauber opted for a brand-new line-up ahead of Audi’s arrival. Thus one of Hamilton’s closest friends dropped off the grid.
Valtteri Bottas says Ferrari move could be a ‘good trigger’ for Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton expressed sympathy for Bottas after he left Sauber, a sign that they remain close three years from the end of their partnership. Speaking in 2023 (via the Mercedes YouTube channel), he said they continued to ‘support each other’ and often travelled to races together.
In an interview with Sky Sports F1 at the launch of Mercedes’ Adidas partnership, Bottas was asked about Hamilton’s fresh start at Ferrari. He described the seven-time world champion as ‘highly motivated’.
Russell thinks Hamilton will benefit from changing teams, and Bottas agrees. It could ‘trigger’ an upturn in his performances after his trickiest season to date.
“I think he’s highly motivated for the year,” Bottas said. “It’s something new and refreshing for him. It can be a good trigger sometimes, but [I’m] keen to see how he gets on with Charles.”
Lewis Hamilton won’t want to hear the talk about Mercedes’ 2025 F1 car
Bottas isn’t the only one keeping a close eye on Hamilton’s battle with Charles Leclerc. It’s one of the most intriguing teammate match-ups in the sport’s recent history.
Juan Pablo Montoya has warned Leclerc not to get ‘ugly’ in moments of adversity. While his time alongside Sainz was largely harmonious, there were occasional spats.
Hamilton could also develop a fresh rivalry with the Mercedes drivers in 2025. He’ll want to prove that he made the right decision by leaving them behind.
There are early rumours that Mercedes have made a breakthrough with their new car. That would be hugely frustrating for their former driver, who saw them miss the mark three times in the ground-effect era.
