Mercedes are the last front-running Formula 1 team yet to confirm their driver line-up for 2025. Their search for a Lewis Hamilton replacement has partly held up the market.
Red Bull confirmed ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix that Sergio Perez had signed a new two-year deal. Ferrari had already announced their pairing of Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in the winter, and both McLaren drivers are under contract long-term.
Wolff has held talks with world champion Max Verstappen about potentially joining for 2025. But if Verstappen is to leave Red Bull, it looks like that won’t happen until 2026.
Instead, he could promote from within by hiring academy driver Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli is regarded within the team as a future superstar with the same potential as Verstappen and Leclerc.
However, Mercedes haven’t fielded a rookie since they returned to F1 in 2010. And Nico Rosberg is among those to argue that it’s too early for the 17-year-old to race for such a big-name team.
Antonelli is only five rounds into his Formula 2 career and has made a steady start. Ahead of the races in Spain later this month, he’s sixth in the championship.
Jacques Villeneuve says Mercedes will re-sign Valtteri Bottas then promote Kimi Antonelli
Speaking on the F1 Show at the Canadian Grand Prix, 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve suggested that Wolff would hold fire on signing Antonelli. Instead, he expects him to find a midfield seat for the Italian in 2025.
This would allow him to gain valuable experience in a lower-pressure Formula 1 environment before graduating to Mercedes for his second season if all goes to plan. George Russell spent three years down at Williams before graduating to the top team.
Wolff would need a stop-gap solution for next year, and Villeneuve says Valtteri Bottas will provide it. Bottas spent five years at the team between 2017 and 2020 and won 10 Grands Prix.
The Finn is at risk of losing his seat Sauber following the arrival of Nico Hulkenberg. But Mercedes have been told that he’d be a perfect short-term acquisition.
“I guess Bottas will go to Mercedes,” he said. “They want a driver for one year. So who do they take?
“They take a driver that will accept a one-year deal, that already knows the team, has experience, to prepare the seat for Antonelli. Toto will have to find a team to put Antonelli somewhere for a year.”
What Bottas has said about possible Mercedes return
Bottas wouldn’t be able to believe his luck if he got a call from Wolff. The 34-year-old is sitting second from bottom in the drivers’ championship having failed to score a point all year, but Villeneuve expects him to return to one of the most desirable seats on the grid, albeit on a short-term basis.
When asked about the possibility in a recent interview, Bottas replied that ‘anything is possible’. Much may depend on how Antonelli performs in a private testing programme that will continue in Barcelona next week.
But while Bottas may tick a box for 2025, it wouldn’t solve the looming driver problem Mercedes have. If Verstappen is available in a year’s time, then Wolff won’t hesitate to sign him.
But that will leave him choosing between Antonelli and Russell for the second seat. Russell has performed well during his time at Brackley, scoring one victory and 10 podiums, but if the hype around Antonelli is justified, then Wolff may have to make one of the most ruthless driver calls in modern F1 history.
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