Lewis Hamilton prefers Andrea Kimi Antonelli as his replacement in 2025, emphasizing the need for young talent at Mercedes. “For me, we need to hire a young driver.”
Lewis Hamilton didn’t hold back at Imola, saying he would choose Mercedes protégé Andrea Kimi Antonelli as his replacement in 2025 over Carlos Sainz!
The explosive decision of the seven-time world champion to leave Mercedes F1 and move to Ferrari next season has left a seat open next to George Russell.
Mercedes prodigy Antonelli would be the team’s second choice—after Max Verstappen—to replace Hamilton, even though the 17-year-old Italian only joined Formula 2 this year after skipping Formula 3.
Antonelli, who transitioned from karting to single-seaters in 2021, is already touted as a future F1 star after winning multiple titles in single-seaters in his debut seasons.
He conducted three private F1 tests for Mercedes at the Red Bull Ring, Imola, and Silverstone in recent weeks.
Carlos Sainz, who found himself without a seat following Ferrari’s decision to sign Hamilton, is another, more experienced option for Mercedes.
Before this weekend’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Imola, Hamilton was asked if he thought Sainz would be the ideal replacement for his seat, assuming Max Verstappen stays at Red Bull.
“Carlos is an excellent driver, so I think wherever he goes, he would be a positive addition to any team.”
“Honestly, I have no idea about Toto Wolff’s plans, but for me, we need to hire a young driver… If it were my job, if it were my role, I would probably hire Kimi over Carlos.”
“Of course, Max is hesitant, Toto has already talked a lot about this, so I guess he will wait. I doubt Carlos will wait that long; otherwise, it’s a risk for him to be left without a seat.”
“But yes, I would prefer Kimi over Carlos in my seat.”
Hamilton Prefers Kimi Antonelli Over Sainz as His Replacement. Hamilton Prefers Kimi Antonelli Over Sainz as His Replacement
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