Toto Wolff has not dismissed the possibility of enlisting Kimi Antonelli to Mercedes next year but emphasised that a verdict on its lineup won’t be imminent.
Mercedes is on the hunt for a new partner for George Russell following Lewis Hamilton’s decision to depart for rivals Ferrari.
The vacancy at Mercedes will be hotly contested given the Brackley-based team’s standing in the hierarchy and its recent track record of World Championship triumphs.
While there’s no shortage of contenders, one name that’s been associated with the spot is Mercedes junior driver Antonelli.
READ: Mercedes eager for glimpse into Red Bull’s cooling system
The Italian is set to embark on his inaugural Formula 2 campaign this year, transitioning after clinching the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine title.
As Mercedes narrows down its list of candidates to succeed Hamilton, Wolff has asserted that he won’t hasten his decision.
When queried about Antonelli’s viability, Wolff informed the media, including RacingNews365:
“We got that curveball thrown at us with Lewis in the beginning of February. I want to do the opposite when choosing the driver for next year.
“It’s clear Kimi has been in our junior category since he was 11 and we have had great pleasure in watching him grow as a young man and growing through the ranks.
“But I also want to take a little bit of pressure off him. He’s 17.
He’s won everything he needed to win in his rookie season, but I think he is going to be a Formula 1 driver.
He’s going to be a very, very successful driver in Formula 1. But he hasn’t started his Formula 2 campaign yet.
READ: Lando Norris addresses McLaren deal amid Lewis Hamilton vacancy
“They had a difficult test in the first days in Bahrain and we shall see how this develops.
“I want to wait out the first F2 races that are actually going to go with Formula 1.
“There are many very good pilots in Formula 1 available for next year or so and this is all going to come into the equation when deciding on the driver line-up for next year, but that’s not going to happen anytime soon.”