Wolff insists that he always wanted Antonelli for 2025
Toto Wolff has revealed that he decided that he wanted to run Kimi Antonelli in the Mercedes Formula 1 team in 2025 “five minutes” after Lewis Hamilton told him that he had signed for Ferrari in January.
In other words Wolff decided to commit to readying Antonelli for graduation next season even before he had raced anything faster than a FRECA car.
However Wolff also admitted that he had hoped to entice Max Verstappen away from Red Bull, while insisting that Antonelli was always his priority as George Russell’s team mate.
“I made up my mind five minutes after Lewis Hamilton told me that he’s going to Ferrari,” he said.
“Obviously, we were discussing other options, and also kept the Max idea. Didn’t discount it completely, with looking at what happened at Red Bull.
“But instinctively, that is the line-up, with these two, that I always wanted. Bearing in mind the fast tracking that we did with Kimi and everything related there too, but that was immediately what I wanted to do.”
Asked by this writer if he had now given up on Verstappen and what would happen in the Dutchman wanted to join Mercedes in 2026 or 2027 Wolff said he would be honest with his current drivers.
“What I appreciate also in dealing in dealing with them is just very straightforward and transparent, and I don’t flirt outside,” he said.
“‘ve always said it, I got maybe caught out by the Lewis situation, but I’ve not entertained any discussions with any drivers when giving it all from the team to make it a success.
“And this is why all of our focus in the team is on George and Kimi, and that’s what I also said. There’s no discussion, there’s no second thoughts about what they’re doing in 2026, because now it’s about 2024 and 2025 and if flirting outside happens, then these guys will know it at the same time when we have those discussions. I’ve always been that open.”
Wolff downplayed the fact that today’s line-up announcement specified 2025 only, with no mention of multi-year deals.
“They have been and will be Mercedes drivers, and therefore, we have contracts with George and Kimi that go much longer, that are very complicated in terms of options, etcetera,” he said.
“And this is a pressure cooker. Mercedes always has been a pressure cooker, but this is where we stand as a team. Today, we want to go with these two.”
He added: “Like we’ve done in the past, we always had very short contracts with each of the drivers, even with Lewis last time around, it was one plus one. And this is, in a way, how the team operated. But I think most important is to see how George and Kimi settle in.
“And I see no reason at that stage of not giving them the faith and the trust of going forward. What that means for the terms, is something that we will discuss between ourselves, but we wouldn’t have gone for the line-up with these two, if we wouldn’t believe 100% that they’re the best choice for Mercedes.
“I feel so much pride sitting with these two here. To see young drivers going through the programme from a super early age onwards, winning everything that needs to be won, ticking all the boxes.”
Wolff also noted that Antonelli has had ideal parental support.
“What to say about Kimi?,” he said. “Perfect family background. His father knows everything about racing that you need to know as a driver. And I think it’s been with Kimi straight from the get-go. Wonderful mother, and that has been supportive.
“So I think you can recognise a pattern with the strong dads that understand racing, and give the right support and the right stick, and the mother that is trying to be the nice one in the relationship!”
Adam Cooper F1 