Toto Wolff says 2025 is not a one-year shootout between Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen

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Mercedes finally confirmed their driver line-up for 2025 with the announcement that Andrea Kimi Antonelli would race with the team next year.

The 18-year-old Italian is currently driving for PREMA in Formula 2 and will make the next step up to partner George Russell for next year.

The young talent become the third newcomer the join the grid for 2025, with it being anticipated that another rookie could join Antonelli, Jack Doohan and Oliver Bearman in F1 next season.

Antonelli is very highly rated by the Mercedes hierarchy with his talent being clear to see. The excitement around his arrival has been rife, with Antonelli’s announcement being met with high praise and support from fans on social media.

Since Lewis Hamilton announced his departure from Mercedes to join Ferrari, the Italian has been at the forefront of the conversation for the vacant seat. Toto Wolff fancies the risk of bringing in Antonelli in what is one of the coveted seats on the F1 grid.

Toto Wolff reaffirms the 2025 Mercedes driver line-up is for the long term

Speaking after F3 on Sky Sports F1, Wolff answered the question of whether Mercedes will continue to monitor Max Verstappen’s situation next season.

The Dutchman has been heavily linked with the Silver Arrows amid the chaos surrounding Red Bull earlier in the year.

Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley’s departures from the defending champions have put Verstappen’s future in doubt, but after a deal slipped between his grasps, Wolff opted for Antonelli.

And the Austrian made it clear that next season is not a one-year shootout between the two driver as he seems committed to Antonelli and his development.

“We have a commitment to our drivers to give it the best all the way. This is George and Kimi. I’m not flirting sideways while they are giving them this effort, so for the moment it’s a pause,” he said.

“No, I would very much hope that we are going long-term with these two. They have been in the junior programmes since a very early age, and I think it’s clear that you always pick the best ones. As it stands and as they are showing, this is the lineup.”

Andrea Kimi Antonelli made his F1 debut at Monza

Antonelli was given his debut on an F1 weekend at the Italian Grand Prix during FP1, but it did not go according to plan.

Going through Parabolica, Antonelli suffered a 52G crash after just 10 minutes of the session as he put the W15 into the barriers.

The Italian was taken to the medical centre as a precaution. Despite ending his session early, Mercedes were full of praise for Antonelli.

Practice at Monza was certainly a learning curve for the 18-year-old, and he will only get stronger the more he gets behind the wheel of F1 machinery.