Toto Wolff has discussed Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s chances of replacing Le🗹wis Hamilton at Mercede▨s.

Hamilto﷽n’s switch to Ferrari in 2025 means Wolff is faced with the mon𝕴umental decision of how to replace a seven-time Formula 1 champion.

Options span two-time F1 champ Fernando Alonso down to Antonelli, the 17-y👍ear-old on Mercedes’ books who is tipped for a bright future.

“We got that curveball thrown at us, with Lewis, in the beginning of Febru✱ary,” Wolff said as he considered which driver to replace him with.

“And I want to d𒐪o the opposite when choosing the driver for next year.

“It’s clear Kimi has been in our junior category since he was 11. We have 🤪had great pleasure in watching him grow as a y🦂oung man, and growing through the ranks.

“But I also wan𝕴t to take a little bit of pressure off him - he’s 17.

“He’s won everythin❀g he needed to win in his rookie season, but I thi༒nk he is going to be a Formula 1 driver.

“He’s going to be a very, very su🥀ccessful driver in Formula 1 but he hasn’t started his Formula 2 campaign yet.

“They had a🅺 difficult test in the first days in Bahrain. We’ll see how this develops.”

Wolff insisted that he will no🅠t be rushed into making a call.

“I want to wait out the first few [F2] races that are actualꦏly going tඣo go with Formula 1,” he said.

“There are many very good pilots in F🃏ormula 1 available for next year.

“This is all going to c🦹ome into the equation when deciding on the driver line-up for next year. But that’s not going to happen anytime soon.”

The prodigious Antonelli was first spotted by James Vowles, previously of Mercedes, and now Williams’ team princip♔al.

That link has sparked rumours that Antonelli could earn his first F1 call-up with Williams, before later graduating to Merced♚es, taking the same pathway as George Russell.

Vowles was questioned about taking ♊Antonelli next year.

“I have no🍒 doubt that Kimi will be in F1,” he🃏 responded.

“He’s done incredibly well in his junior series. But that doesn't m𝓀ean he will be in Williams, necessarily.

“I believe in investing in youth. But I'll take people on merit into the o💝rganisa🍬tion.

“I'📖m fortunate enough to have two juniors myself, in F2 and in F3.

“We're starting to bu﷽ild a programme that is a sensible programme to develop THE next generation of dꦆrivers.

“In the case of Toto, he's i🌼n the position that you would hope.

“He's one 💝of, if not the best, team on the grid, with a rangꦺe of options available to him.

“From my perspective, it's more about looking wh🍬at happens going forward.

“I🔯 have Alex Albon here next year under contract and I h꧙ave Logan Sargeant obviously under contract as well, along with juniors.

“It's just a question of seeing how⛎ every♕thing plays out across the next six months."

But Vowles did emphasise the potential brilli🌃ance of Antꦐonelli.

“When you're looking after a junior who is 11, you have no idea that the𝔍y are going to be incredible, or perhaps good, great or average,” he explained.

“But, with him, you coul🐓d see early on in the F𒅌4 days that he was developing exceptionally well.”