Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has claimed Lewis Hamilton’s exit ensured it wouldn’t lose Andrea Kimi Antonelli to another Formula 1 team as it did with Max Verstappen.
Hamilton’s bombshell decision to pen a move to Ferrari almost 12 months ago prompted Mercedes to promote Antonelli, 18, to partner George Russell from this term.
The Briton’s departure came about due to a break clause that was included in his previous Mercedes deal, a one-plus-one agreement signed back in September 2023.
Hamilton had pledged his commitment to ending his career with the German marque, but Wolff’s hesitance to commit to a longer extension contributed to his switch.
But while he’s conceded the seven-time F1 champion leaving was a surprise, Wolff took solace in that Hamilton vacating his spot helped Mercedes to retain Antonelli.
Wolff admitted he was eager to not end up in the situation where not having an available drive saw it squander Antonelli as it had with Verstappen to Red Bull in 2014.
“It was a curve ball thrown at us, and it still feels weird that he’s gonna wear Ferrari overalls and drive the red car,” he told the Armchair Experts podcast.
“It’s just a bit surreal. But we had this 17-year-old in the pipeline [Antonelli].
“I didn’t want to miss out on him, like I did with Max back in the day, [when] I didn’t have a car [to give], so that is all falling into place.
“And I can kind of get where he’s coming from, because we weren’t successful.
“Our car was not quick enough, certainly he had a mega offer on the table, [and] every Formula 1 driver wants to drive a Ferrari.”
Wolff reveals relief in Hamilton departure
Wolff has repeated that the development last winter has saved him from having to deal with the emotional anguish of ever telling Hamilton Mercedes wish to cut ties.
Meanwhile, Wolff suspects that Hamilton had become aware that Antonelli was lurking in the background to steal his seat and that held a role in his decision to leave.
Asked whether he was relieved Hamilton made the call on his own terms, Wolff replied: “Absolutely, I couldn’t make the decision from a personal standpoint – we owe him so much.
“And I didn’t want to do the decision, as Mercedes, letting the greatest champion ever go.
“Maybe he felt that also, that’s part of it, and he knew that Antonelli was in the pipeline. It was something that I almost had in the back of my mind, that that would happen.”
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