Wolff reveals his preference for the empty Mercedes seat

F1 News

Toto Wolff announces priority for empty Mercedes seat
8 June at 15:44
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  • Sandy van Wijngaarden

With the departure of Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, Toto Wolff has to look for his replacement. It was previously announced that this will not be Carlos Sainz. The Austrian team boss recently revealed who is the priority for the team.

With Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari from 2025, there is an empty seat at Mercedes for the upcoming season. A host of drivers have been linked to the vacancy at the Silver Arrows. Toto Wolff's original priority was Max Verstappen, but the Dutchman will remain at Red Bull Racing through 2025. The likes of Esteban Ocon, Carlos Sainz and Alexander Albon were also mentioned as contenders. Nevertheless, Albon announced that he has extended his contract with Williams. 

Wolff announces priority for Mercedes

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff recently confirmed to Sky Germany that Sainz will not drive for Mercedes in 2025. The Austrian has indicated that the team would rather focus on Andrea Kimi Antonelli, or one of the other options Mercedes has in mind. Wolff would not name the other options.

There were first some discussions about Antonelli's age. After all, he is currently only 17 and you can only enter Formula 1 from the age of 18. This rule has been in place since the arrival of Max Verstappen. However, the Italian turns 18 on 25 August this year, so this will not be a problem for Mercedes.

This article was written in collaboration with Sophia Crothall.