.Mercedes need a new driver to partner George Russell from next year with the seven-time F1 champion headed to Ferrari.
Antonelli, still only 17, has enjoyed a meteoric rise through the junior ranks as a Mercedes-backed youngster.
In April, Wolff said Antonelli was the one in the “strongest position” to win Hamilton’s soon-to-be-vacated seat.
At the moment, my first option is Kimi Antonelli. But Kimi has enormous potential.
“Antonelli sits seventh in the F2 drivers’ standings after the first 20 races of the season, with eight more still to go.
That’s despite his Prema team having struggled for pace all year.
And team-mate Oliver Bearman, whose place on the 2024 F1 grid with Haas is already secure, is 15th with fewer than half as many points.
Wolff knows Antonelli is raw but, with more regulation changes on the horizon in 2026, views next season as an ideal opportunity for the teenager to learn the ropes in F1.
But he still doesn’t want to make a full commitment just yet, even if he admits his ambitious plan to lure Max Verstappen away from Red Bull is unlikely to succeed.
So I’m happy to take a risk with Antonelli, because it’s a calculated risk.
