Antonelli for the future of Mercedes
It took some time, but eventually Mercedes F1 has found its way into the immediate future. After months of negotiations, rumors and indiscretions, the choice of Toto Wolff to replace the departing Lewis Hamilton fell on Andrea Kimi Antonelli. A decision officially communicated to the press on the Saturday of qualifying for the Italian GP in Monza and in no way influenced by the accident in which the 18-year-old from Bologna had been the protagonist the day before in free practice 1, when he sat behind the wheel of his future teammate’s W15 George Russell almost immediately ending up against the wall.
A decision that has also inevitably put an end, at least for the moment, to speculation about a Max Verstappen’s possible arrival at Brackley. In fact, since Antonelli’s announcement, Wolff – who had repeatedly tried, even publicly, to convince the Dutchman to embrace the Mercedes cause – stopped indicating the three-time world champion as a concrete market objective.
Wolff and negotiations with Verstappen
“We stepped aside – Wolff explained to the microphones of Autosport – and I believe I have already expressed the concept in the past, on which Max also has a similar vision. You have to have faith in your drivers and your team. You have to give as much support as possible to make your choices work and only if things get really bad can you consider other opportunities. It would be like flirting with another person when your romantic relationship isn’t working out. It’s not okay, I’m not flirting. I might only strike up a conversation with him if we actually considered changingand I’m sure the same goes for you too”.
Russell and Antonelli on equal terms
Wolff then also spoke about Russell, who according to paddock radio rumors could be the driver to be sacrificed in the event of future negotiations with Verstappen, especially if Antonelli were to confirm the high expectations on him: “George had a similar trajectory to Kimi, in terms of karting and smaller formulas. And he was the first young man to join Mercedes. He’s still our pilot, but we will not make a distinction between him and Antonelli. Emotionally, both will have the same support and nothing will change. Every top driver in Formula 1 knows that they have to compete with their teammate, whether young or old. For three years, George’s teammate was Lewis Hamilton, the greatest driver of all time. So he will be comfortable competing with one of the youngest, who arrives with high expectations”.
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