There is a lot of talk surrounding Antonelli, 17, as he undergoes an extensive private testing program alongside his first season in Formula 2. This means that if he is promoted next year to be George Russell’s teammate, he will be 18 when he debuts for Mercedes in 2025 (his birthday is on August 25).
Wolff openly acknowledged that Carlos Sainz is not being considered as an option, and it would have made sense for him to switch from Ferrari with Hamilton going the other way. Considering his current form and experience, it is unimaginable that a prestigious team like Mercedes has not secured his services.
During the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, Villeneuve shared his theory on Sky F1: “Toto Wolff will only accept Antonelli as the solution. The door has closed for other options. This team now belongs to Antonelli for the future. He has been preparing for this moment for years.”
“Furthermore, Toto Wolff’s ego has played a significant role in his decision to choose Antonelli. He wants to prove to the world that he was right to believe in the young Italian when he was only twelve years old. He wants to demonstrate that he saw the future world champion in him back then,” speculated Villeneuve, the 1997 F1 world champion with Williams.
There may be some truth to Villeneuve’s observations, as none of the drivers under Wolff’s management have become F1 world champions. Unlike his Austrian counterpart and renowned driver guru, Helmut Marko, who managed to secure Max Verstappen for Red Bull while Mercedes was busy with Esteban Ocon.
According to The Guardian, Wolff began his career in driver management as a co-owner of a sports management company that represented drivers such as Pastor Maldonado, Bruno Senna, Rubens Barrichello, Pascal Wehrlein, and Nico Hülkenberg.
Among Wolff’s proteges, Valtteri Bottas has been the most successful, thanks to his time at Mercedes as Hamilton’s wingman during their nearly decade-long title domination by the Silver Arrows. George Russell, who will take over as team leader when Hamilton departs in December, has replaced Bottas in the German team.
Antonelli, highly regarded and with an impressive junior career filled with titles from karting to Formula 4, was fast-tracked to Formula 2 this year, completely skipping F3.
In his debut season in F2, coming directly from F4, Antonelli finds himself on track with older and more experienced F2 and F3 drivers. This includes drivers like Oliver Bearman, who made his Grand Prix debut when he replaced Ferrari this year. After the first ten races, Antonelli is currently in sixth place in the F2 driver standings, still seeking his first podium.
