Toto Wolff drops biggest Lewis Hamilton replacement hint yet with Max Verstappen ‘wait’ over

Toto Wolff has dropped the biggest hint yet that Andrea Kimi Antonelli will replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in F1 2025, with the team no longer waiting “for something to happen” with Max Verstappen.

And he has teased that the team will “soon confirm” George Russell’s F1 2025 team-mate amid mounting speculation that Mercedes will announce the signing of Antonelli ahead of next weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

Mercedes set to confirm Lewis Hamilton F1 2025 replacement ‘soon’

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Mercedes have been searching for a replacement for Hamilton since the seven-time World Champion announced in February that he will join Ferrari on a multi-year contract from F1 2025.

The Brackley-based team have been linked with an ambitious move for Verstappen over recent months, with Wolff making no secret of his desire to sign the reigning three-time World Champion from Red Bull.

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With Verstappen now expected to stay at Red Bull for at least F1 2025, Mercedes are set to promote junior sensation Antonelli after reports earlier this month claimed the teenager has signed a contract to succeed Hamilton and is set to be confirmed in the buildup to his home race in Italy.

Mercedes declined to comment when approached by PlanetF1.com.

With Verstappen under contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season, Wolff appears to have conceded defeat in his pursuit of the Dutchman, revealing the team decided to stop waiting “for something to happen” before finalising their F1 2025 driver pairing.

And he hinted that the boy wonder will be announced as Hamilton’s successor shortly, with the Mercedes boss keen to make it “work” with Russell and Antonelli.

“We will soon confirm who will get [the] second place [at Mercedes],” said Wolff, per Motorsport-Total .

“We came to the conclusion together in the summer that we should not wait for something to happen before we commit to 2025.

“I want it to work with George and Kimi.”

Antonelli, who will turn 18 on the day of the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday, has commenced an extensive F1 testing program this year to prepare for a likely grand prix debut, driving previous Mercedes F1 cars at such circuits as Silverstone, Imola, the Red Bull Ring and Spa.

After a challenging start to his maiden F2 season with Prema in 2024, the Bologna-born driver has come to the fore over recent weeks, claiming his first victory in the F1 junior category at Silverstone last month – 24 hours before Hamilton ended a 945-day winless streak in the British Grand Prix.

Antonelli followed that up with another victory in Hungary, with it emerging earlier this week that the teenager will drive Hamilton’s car in opening practice at Monza next weekend.

Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in May, Hamilton gave his blessing to the signing of Antonelli, having made his own F1 debut in a race-winning McLaren, aged 22, back in 2007.

Hamilton said: “Honestly, I have no idea what Toto’s plans are but, for me, taking on a youngster would be [the right move].

“If it was my job, my role, I’d probably take on Kimi.”

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